arineS.  Fmzelline 


PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 


A  Short  Study  of  Congregational  Heroes  who  have  given 
their  lives  for  the  New  Era  of  Brotherhood 


KATHARINE  S.  HAZELTINE 


THE   PILGRIM   PRESS 

Department  of  Educational  Publication* 

BOSTON  CHICAGO 


COPYRIGHT  1919 
A.  W.  FELL 


THE   PILGRIM  PRESS 
BOSTON 


Not  of  the  sunlight, 
Not  of  the  moonlight, 
Not  of  the  starlight! 
0  young  Mariner, 
Down  to  the  haven, 
Call  your  companions, 
Launch  your  vessel 
And  crowd  your  canvas, 
And,  ere  it  vanishes 
Over  the  margin, 
After  it,  follow  it, 
Follow  the  Gleam. 

— TENNYSON. 


2050998 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

I.     A  BOY  WHO  DARED  FOLLOW  THE  GLEAM      .  1 

II.    STEPPING-STONES 15 

III.  MARCHING  FORWARD 34 

IV.  FROM  SEA  TO  SHINING  SEA 49 

V.    FROM  SEA  TO  SHINING  SEA  .      (Continued)   .  64 

VI.    INTO  ALL  THE  WORLD 82 

VII.    FOR  FREEDOM 97 

VIII.     BROTHERS  ALL 117 

IX.    CARRY  ON  .  139 


PILGRIM    FOLLOWERS 
OF    THE    GLEAM 

i 

A   BOY    WHO   DARED   FOLLOW   THE   GLEAM 

"  To  strive,  to  seek,  to  find,  and  not  to  yield." 

—  Tennyson. 

The  Gleam 

Today  millions  of  men  and  boys  dare  to  follow  the 
gleam.  They  are  French  and  American,  English  and 
Canadian,  Belgian  and  Italian  boys,  as  well  as  boys 
from  Armenia,  India,  China,  Japan,  and  South  Africa, 
all  eager,  all  glad  to  follow  it.  In  the  Great  War,  just  over, 
it  led  them  to  the  battle-fields  of  France  and  of  Flanders, 
of  Italy  and  of  Mesopotamia.  It  has  led  them  as  soldiers 
of  the  cross  to  China,  to  South  Africa  —  everywhere.  It 
has  led  them  to  cold,  hunger,  hardship,  pain,  even  unto 
death.  Yet  on  they  follow,  "  to  strive,  to  seek,  to  find, 
and  not  to  yield." 

Why?  They  strive  to  overcome  cruelty,  greed,  and 
selfishness,  to  destroy  the  belief  that  the  will  of  a  few  men 
may  be  imposed  upon  all  others  in  spite  of  their  desire,  and 
that  a  few  may  have  prosperity  and  happiness  while  others 
pay  the  price.  They  are  willing  to  dare  because  they 
hate  these  evils.  They  seek  to  establish  justice,  righteous- 
ness, and  mercy,  and  to  establish  for  all  the  world  the 
principles  that  every  man  should  have  a  voice  in  deciding 
matters  which  concern  his  welfare,  that  the  stronger  na- 
tions must  not  oppress  the  weak,  and  that  men  may  not 
live  only  for  themselves  without  regard  for  others.  They 


2        PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

hope  that,  as  a  result  of  their  work,  men  of  all  races  and 
nations  shall  have  brotherhood.  Though  they  are  sick 
and  wounded  and  weary,  they  will  not  yield.  They  will 
strive  on  until  they  have  made  the  world  safe  for  democracy. 
Brotherhood,  democracy,  —  that  is  the  vision,  the  gleam 
which  shines  today  before  a  host  of  people  of  all  nations 
and  races.  Yet,  although  it  now  shines  before  the  whole 
world  more  brightly  and  clearly  than  ever  before,  it  is  not 
a  new  light  which  guides  men  on.  Long,  long  ago  wisemen 
saw  a  wondrous  star  in  the  East  and  in  following  its  gleam 
they  were  led  to  the  manger  where  the  Christ  Child  lay. 
During  his  lifetime  Jesus  showed  to  men  God,  their  Father, 
and  taught  them  to  call  each  other  brother.  From  him 
has  shone  this  gleam.  At  first  only  a  few  saw  it  and  these 
but  dimly.  In  the  days  that  have  succeeded,  as  men  have 
followed  its  light,  they  have  seen  more  and  more  of  its 
beauty,  its  truth,  and  its  power,  until  now  to  us  it  means 
establishing  for  all  races  and  nations  upon  earth  the  era  of 
brotherhood. 

"  Not  of  the  sunlight, 

Not  of  the  moonlight, 

Not  of  the  starlight!" 

From  Jesus  does  this  gleam  still  shine.  To  make  it  real, 
each  one  of  us  is  challenged,  for  the  accomplishment  of  the 
task  depends  upon  us. 

"  O  young  mariner, 
Down  to  the  haven 
Call  your  companions, 
Launch  your  vessel 
And  crowd  your  canvas/ 
And,  ere  it  vanishes 
Over  the  margin, 
After  it,  follow  it, 
Follow  the  Gleam." 


A  BOY  WHO  DARED  3 

Our  Particular  Heritage 

In  some  of  the  early  followers  of  the  gleam  we  people 
in  the  Congregational  churches  are  particularly  interested. 
We  honor  them,  of  course,  because  they  played  such  an  im- 
portant part  in  the  beginning  of  this  struggle  for  democracy, 
but  we  honor  them  especially  for  two  reasons:  first,  be- 
cause it  was  in  these  early  days  when  they  struggled  to  gain 
liberty  of  conscience  that  our  Congregational  church  had 
its  beginning;  and  second,  because  one  of  the  first  groups 
of  Congregationalists,  the  church  at  Scrooby,  England, 
became  the  very  first  Congregational  church  in  America 
and  wonderfully  carried  forward  God's  great  adventure, 
the  establishment  of  his  Kingdom  upon  earth.  In  1920 
we  celebrate  the  300th  anniversary  of  its  settlement  at 
Plymouth.  In  this  book  you  will  find  the  story  of  the 
Pilgrims.  Only  by  understanding  their  experiences  can 
we  truly  honor  their  achievement.  You  will  find,  too, 
stories  of  other  followers  of  the  gleam,  though  it  is  possible 
to  tell  the  achievements  of  only  a  very  few  of  the  great  host 
in  Congregational  and  other  churches,  whom  today  we 
honor  for  their  work  in  aiding  the  progress  of  the  era  of 
brotherhood. 

A  Struggle  Begun 

To  understand  what  their  struggle  meant,  we  must  go 
back  to  the  year  1380  and  to  John  Wyclif.  At  that  time 
there  were  not  the  many  different  churches  we  know  about; 
there  was  just  one  church,  the  Roman  Catholic,  which 
considered  the  Pope  at  Rome  the  highest  authority  on 
earth,  the  one  who  ruled  in  place  of  Christ.  Cardinals, 
bishops,  and  priests  were  his  representatives  in  the  different 
countries,  and  the  kings  as  well  as  the  people  of  all  the 
lands  were  forced  to  obey  his  will.  There  was  no  appeal 


4        PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

from  his  laws  and  decrees.  Every  one  must  accept  them  or 
be  excommunicated  from  the  church,  that  is,  become  an 
outcast  from  home  and  friends.  Wyclif,  who  was  a  pro- 
fessor at  Oxford,  translated  the  Bible  into  the  English  the 
people  used  every  day.  Up  to  that  time,  as  the  Bible  had 
been  only  in  Latin,  very  few  people  besides  the  priests 
read  it.  When  Wyclif  made  known  his  English  Bible,  he 
declared  that  this  book  and  not  the  Pope  should  be  the 
highest  authority  and  the  only  guide  in  showing  men  what 
they  should  believe  and  how  they  should  act.  He  was  even 
more  daring.  He  declared  that  men  ought  not  to  obey  the 
laws  made  by  the  Pope  and  his  cardinals  whenever  they 
differed  from  the  laws  expressed  in  the  Bible,  and  that,  as 
the  church  was  really  a  body  of  followers  of  Christ,  men 
should  obey  him  and  not  the  Pope.  Of  course,  you  can 
easily  see  that  if  men  followed  these  teachings  of  John 
Wyclif,  the  power  of  the  Pope  would  be  destroyed,  and  you 
will  not  be  surprised  that  the  Pope  was  exceedingly  angry 
and  tried  to  punish  Wyclif.  He  was  not  able  to  do  it, 
however,  because  at  that  particular  time  these  views  helped 
the  English  people  to  free  themselves  from  paying  a  tribute 
to  Rome.  Later  on  when  the  feeling  toward  Wyclif  had 
changed,  the  people  dug  up  his  body,  burned  it,  and  scat- 
tered the  ashes  into  the  river. 

The  Lollards 

But  what  Wyclif  thought  lived  on  after  him  in  the  lives 
of  his  pupils.  These  were  the  Lollards.  They  too  be- 
lieved that  Christ  alone  should  be  their  Master.  Like 
the  apostles,  they  traveled  bare-foot  throughout  the  land, 
clad  in  long  robes  of  coarse  red  wool,  carrying  only  the  scrip 
and  staff  of  the  pilgrim.  Many  were  the  wayfarers 
in  those  days:  wandering  ballad  singers,  jesters,  and 


A  BOY  WHO  DARED  * 

"  tumblers,"  or  acrobats.  When  any  of  them  stopped  in 
village  or  manor,  folk  gathered  together  to  be  entertained. 
Wherever  the  Lollards  stopped,  they  told  the  story  of  the 
life  of  Jesus,  and  the  commandments  he  gave  to  those  who 
would  follow  him.  How  eagerly  the  little  groups  about 
them  must  have  listened!  The  Lollards  copied  out  by 
hand  —  it  was  before  the  day  of  the  printing  press  —  a 
great  many  of  the  stories  and  texts  from  Wyclif's  Bible 
and  gave  them  to  those  very  few  who  were  fortunate 
enough  to  be  able  to  read.  The  humble  folk  —  the 
tradesmen,  artisans,  yeomen,  and  ploughboys  —  thought 
deeply  over  these  stories,  talked  about  them,  asked  ques- 
tions, and  learned  many  passages  by  heart.  How  much 
it  must  have  meant  to  these  simple  people  to  know  that 
Jesus  believed  each  one  of  them  to  be  a  son  of  God  and  valua- 
ble to  him;  that  he  believed  God  to  be  a  Father  who  loved 
men  though  they  sinned,  and  who  forgave  them;  that  his 
first  disciples  were  humble  working  folk  like  themselves; 
that  every  one  of  them,  even  the  least,  might  go  directly 
to  his  heavenly  Father  without  the  aid  of  any  priest  or 
saint!  These  truths  many  of  them  believed.  But  be- 
cause the  Lollards  pointed  out  the  abuses  in  the  church, 
and  in  those  days  this  kind  of  teaching  was  heresy,  the  Lol- 
lards were  bitterly  persecuted.  All  suffered  loss  of  property 
and  were  scorned  by  their  fellows.  Most  of  them  were  im- 
prisoned, tortured,  and  put  to  death  either  on  the  gallows 
or  at  the  stake.  As  we  look  back,  we  realize  keenly  the 
tremendous  price  paid  for  that  liberty  of  conscience  which 
we  today  accept  as  a  matter  of  course. 

The  Puritans 

By  and  by  it  became  possible  for  a  steadily  increasing 
number  of  people  easily  to  behold  the  splendid  gleam  which 


6         PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

had  led  Wyclif  and  the  Lollards.  The  Bible  was  printed. 
There  were  not  many  books  in  those  times  and  men  read 
eagerly  the  stories  found  in  the  Old  and  New  Testaments. 
As  they  read,  the  people  began  to  feel  what  a  difference 
there  was  between  the  selfishness  of  the  Pope  and  bishops, 
and  the  unselfishness  of  the  Master  and  his  apostles; 
between  the  church  as  they  knew  it  and  that  of  the  New 
Testament  times.  As  they  found  God's  will  there  made 
plain,  within  them  grew  an  intense  longing  to  do  away 
with  all  those  ceremonies  and  practises  which  they  felt 
were  hindering  them  from  truly  following  the  Master 
Christ.  This  class  of  persons  gradually  came  to  be  known 
as  Puritans  because  of  their  desire  to  purify  the  church. 
Like  Wyclif  and  the  Lollards,  they  dared  much  to  be  loyal 
to  the  gleam  of  truth  they  saw.  In  Henry  VIII 's  time, 
they  had  no  longer  to  struggle  against  the  Pope,  for  Henry 
VIII  had  been  declared  the  head  of  the  church,  and  the 
church  proclaimed  free  from  the  Pope's  control.  Yet  they 
could  not  put  the  king  in  Christ's  place  any  more  than  they 
could  the  Pope.  Under  the  reign  of  Mary,  the  daughter  of 
Henry  VIII  who  succeeded  him  to  the  throne,  the  Puritans 
suffered  bitter  persecution  and  many  went  to  the  stake  or 
the  scaffold  rather  than  give  up  their  principles,  for  Queen 
Mary  was  a  Catholic  and  tried  to  reestablish  the  authority 
of  the  Pope.  Nor  were  the  Puritans  better  off  when  Eliza- 
beth, the  second  daughter  of  Henry  VIII,  ascended  the 
throne.  Even  though  she  was  a  Protestant,  instead  of 
beginning  the  reforms  hoped  for,  she  not  only  had  Parlia- 
ment declare  that  she  was  the  head  of  the  church,  but  she 
also  had  them  pass  an  act  which  compelled  every  minister' 
to  use  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer  in  every  religious 
service.  Now  it  is  only  to  be  expected  that  the  Puritans, 
who  believed  that  the  Bible  was  the  only  authority  in 


A  BOY  WHO  DARED 

matters  spiritual  and  that  Christ  only  was  the  Head  of  the 
church,  should  resent  these  acts  of  Elizabeth.  They  could 
find  no  authority  for  them  in  the  Word  of  God.  They 
could  not  conscientiously  follow  them.  So  they  were 
persecuted. 

A  Boy's  Hard  Problem 

This  was  the  state  of  affairs  when  William  Bradford 
was  about  fifteen  years  old.  The  more  he  studied  his  Bible, 
the  more  sure  he  felt  that  the  Puritans  were  right.  He 
believed,  with  the  small  party  called  Separatists,  that  it 
would  not  do  simply  to  stay  within  the  Church  of  England 
and  reform  it,  as  the  majority  of  Puritans  wished,  but  that 
they  had  better  leave  the  church  altogether  and  form  a 
church  which  should  be  more  nearly  like  that  described  in 
the  New  Testament.  He  believed,  as  they  did,  that  a 
church  was  formed  by  those  who  believed  in  Christ  uniting 
of  their  own  will  in  an  agreement,  or  covenant,  to  obey  him, 
that  members  of  this  church  had  equal  rights  and  privileges, 
and  that  the  members  had  the  right  to  elect  their  ministers 
and  officers.  The  question  he  had  to  decide  was,  "Shall  I 
declare  my  belief  and  become  one  of  these  Separatists? 
Have  I  the  courage  to  face  all  that  these  Separatists  must 
face?  " 

Being  laughed  at  is  no  fun.  Every  boy  hates  it.  So  did 
William  Bradford.  He  shrank  from  facing  all  the  jests 
and  scorn  he  had  heard  hurled  at  those  who  dared  to  belong 
to  this  small  body  of  people.  Yet  ridicule  he  knew  to  be 
one  of  the  very  least  of  the  hard  things  he  must  bear.  One 
of  the  first  things  which  would  happen  to  him,  if  he  declared 
his  belief,  as  he  well  knew,  would  be  that  his  uncles,  who 
had  cared  for  him  ever  since  his  babyhood,  would  turn  him 
out  of  the  house  without  a  penny  and  without  a  hope  of 


8        PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

ever  receiving  his  share  of  his  father's  property.  More 
than  this,  he  knew  he  would  have  a  hard  time  to  earn  a 
living.  The  neighbors  would  be  slow  to  employ  one  who 
would  now  be  regarded  by  all  citizens  loyal  to  the  queen 
as  a  traitor  to  his  country.  That  was  how  they  considered 
the  Puritans  and  especially  the  Separatists.  Furthermore, 
he  would  be  treated  as  a  traitor  to  both  country  and  church. 
He  had  seen  these  things  happen  to  others.  He  would  be 
heavily  fined  or  imprisoned.  He  might  even  have  to  be- 
come one  of  those  brave  souls  who  had  faced  death  rather 
than  yield  their  privilege  to  follow  the  teachings  of  Christ. 
Had  he  the  courage  to  dare  all  these  things? 

The  Spirit  of  the  Man 

From  the  record  of  William  Bradford's  later  life,  we 
know  it  was  his  habit  to  trust  in  every  difficulty  to  the 
strength  sent  him  by  God.  Perhaps  he  recalled  Paul's 
words,  "  If  God  be  for  us,  who  can  be  against  us?  "  We 
know  from  his  own  writing  that  he  believed  unusual 
difficulties  and  dangers  had  to  be  met  with  "  answerable 
courage."  It  was  thus  he  faced  this  difficulty  and  danger 
and  dared  to  follow  the  gleam.  We  are  fortunate  to  have 
William  Bradford's  own  account  of  the  covenant  and 
experiences  of  the  group  of  Separatists  whom  he  joined, 
that  little  church  at  Scrooby  which  was  to  be  so  famous. 
He  writes,  "  Ye  Lord's  free  people  joyned  themselves 
(by  a  covenant  of  the  Lord)  into  a  church  estate  in  ye 
fellowship  of  ye  gospell  to  walke  in  all  his  wayes,  made 
known,  or  to  be  made  known  unto  them,  according  to  their 
best  endeavours,  whatsoever  it  should  cost  them,  the  Lord 
assisting  them.  And  that  it  cost  them  something  this 
ensewing  historic  will  declare." 

In  1606  the  new  Archbishop  of  York  began  the  system- 


A  BOY  WHO  DARED  9 

atic  suppression  of  these  "  heretics."  As  William  Bradford 
tells  us  in  his  account  of  these  days:  "  But  after  these 
things  they  could  not  long  continue  in  any  peaceable 
conditions,  but  were  hunted  and  persecuted  on  every  side, 
so  as  their  former  afflictions  were  but  as  flea  bitings  in 
comparison  of  these  which  now  came  upon  them.  For 
some  were  taken  and  clapt  up  in  prison  others  had  their 
houses  besett  and  watcht  night  and  day  and  hardly  escaped 
their  hands,  and  ye  most  were  faine  to  flie  and  leave  their 
houses  and  habitations,  and  the  means  of  their  livelihood. 
Yet  these  and  many  other  sharper  things  which  afterward 
befell  them  were  no  other  than  they  looked  for." 

A  Momentous  Decision 

They  soon  realized  that  they  could  have  no  comfort  in 
England.  William  Brewster  suggested  that  they  go  to 
Holland,  where  there  was  religious  freedom  for  all  men  and 
whither  many  of  those  persecuted  as  they  were  had  gone. 
"But  to  goe  into  a  countrie  they  knew  not  (but  by  hearsay) 
where  they  must  learne  a  new  language,  and  get  their 
livings  they  knew  not  how  ...  it  was  by  many  thought 
an  adventure  almost  desperate  .  .  .  and  a  miserie  worse 
than  death.  Especially  seeing  they  were  not  acquainted 
with  trade  nor  traffique,  but  had  been  used  to  a  plaine 
countrie  life.  But  these  things  did  not  dismay  them 
(though  they  did  sometime  trouble  them)  for  their  desires 
were  sett  on  ye  ways  of  God  and  to  injoye  his  ordinances; 
but  they  rested  on  his  providence  and  knew  whom  they 
had  believed."  It  is  thus  that  Bradford  relates  their 
predicament,  adding  simply:  "Yet  this  was  not  all,  for 
though  they  could  not  stay,  yet  were  they  not  suf- 
fered to  goe,  but  ye  ports  and  havens  were  shut  against 
them." 


10      PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

Attempts  to  Escape 

Many  times  they  tried  to  get  away  secretly,  but  often 
they  were  surprised  and  their  goods  were  intercepted. 
Bradford's  account  gives  us  only  two  of  the  instances. 
In  1607,  hi  December,  a  large  company  planned  to  leave 
from  Boston,  a  seaport  about  fifty  miles  from  Scrooby, 
and  hired  a  ship  wholly  for  themselves,  making  arrange- 
ment with  the  master  of  the  ship  to  take  them  and  their 
goods  in.  He  kept  them  waiting,  and  finally,  having  gotten 
them  and  then-  goods  aboard,  he  betrayed  them  to  the 
officers,  who  put  them  into  open  boats,  robbed  them  of 
their  money,  carried  them  back  to  town,  "  made  them  a 
spectackle  and  wonder  to  ye  multitudes,  which  came 
flocking  on  all  sides  to  behould  them,"  and  cast  them  into 
prison. 

This  sort  of  treatment  did  not  prevent  their  making  a 
second  attempt  the  following  spring.  They  found  a  Dutch- 
man, the  owner  of  his  own  ship,  who  agreed  to  take  them. 
He  agreed  to  meet  them  at  a  large  common  between  Grimsby 
and  Hull.  The  women  and  children  and  the  goods  were 
sent  on  in  a  large  bark,  while  the  men  were  to  walk  to  the 
meeting  place.  Unfortunately,  the  women  and  children 
reached  there  a  day  ahead  of  time,  and  feeling  very  seasick, 
urged  the  seaman  to  put  into  a  creek.  There,  next  morn- 
ing when  the  ship  arrived,  they  found  that  they  were 
stranded,  for  it  was  low  tide,  and  they  could  not  get  to  her. 
The  shipmaster  sent  his  boat  for  the  men  and  got  the  first 
load  safely  on  board.  Just  as  they  were  about  to  send  her 
back  for  more,  they  saw  soldiers  coming  after  them.  The 
Dutch  captain  would  not  wait.  He  hoisted  sail,  with  the 
poor  men  on  board  powerless  to  help  their  distressed  wives 
and  children  on  the  shore.  They  had  scarce  a  penny  nor 
a  change  of  clothes.  They  knew  only  too  well  the  troubles 


A  BOY  WHO  DARED  11 

their  families  would  have  to  meet,  "  but  all  in  vaine,  ther 
was  no  remedy,  they  must  thus  sadly  part."  To  make 
matters  still  harder  they  ran  into  a  terrible  storm  at  sea. 
For  fourteen  days  or  more  they  were  tossed  about,  the 
mariners  themselves  often  despairing  of  life.  Bradford 
was  probably  one  of  this  company  on  the  ship.  He  tells 
us  with  what  fervent  prayers  they  cried  unto  the  Lord  in 
this  great  distress.  "  Even  without  any  great  distrac- 
tion, when  ye  water  rane  into  their  mouthes  and  ears; 
and  the  mariners  cried  out,  we  sinke,  we  sinke;  they  cried 
(if  not  with  mirakelous,  yet  with  a  great  light  or  degree  of 
divine  faith) :  Yet  Lord  thou  canst  save,  yet  Lord  thou 
canst  save.  And  in  the  end  the  Lord  brought  them  safe 
to  their  desired  haven."  Those  who  had  been  left  were 
indeed  in  a  sorry  plight.  The  men  with  whom  it  would  go 
hardest  should  they  be  captured,  were  urged  to  escape, 
the  others  staying  to  assist  the  women.  Weeping  in 
anxiety  for  their  husbands,  with  the  children  clinging 
to  them  crying  for  fear  and  cold,  they  were  placed  under 
arrest.  They  were  hurried  from  one  point  to  another. 
They  could  not  be  sent  home,  for  indeed  they  had  no 
homes  to  go  to;  and  to  imprison  them  because  they  must 
go  with  their  husbands  seemed  even  to  these  judges  un- 
reasonable. Finally  the  authorities  were  glad  to  be  rid 
of  them,  and  some  in  one  way  and  some  in  another,  "  they 
all  gott  over  at  length  .  .  .  and  mette  togeather  againe 
according  to  their  desires,  with  no  small  rejoycing." 

In  a  Strange  Land 

Though  it  was  at  Amsterdam  that  they  settled  first, 
the  little  company  soon  decided  to  go  to  Ley  den.  Here  the 
first  problem  to  be  settled  was  that  of  making  a  living. 
They  became  carpenters,  weavers,  bricklayers,  makers  of 


12       PILGRIM  FOLLOWER*  OF  THE  GLEAM 

furniture,  glass,  candles,  or  clocks,  bakers,  brewers, 
tailors.  Such  a  variety  of  occupation  was  good  preparation 
for  the  people  who  were  to  lay  the  foundations  of  a  new  state 
across  the  water. 

William  Brewster,  who  had  been  elected  by  the  people 
as  elder  or  assistant  to  Pastor  Robinson,  taught  English 
in  a  school,  and  later  managed  a  printing-press.  Pastor 
John  Robinson  enrolled  in  the  University  of  Leyden,  be- 
coming very  well  known  because  of  his  ability,  breadth  of 
mind,  and  sweetness  of  character.  William  Bradford 
himself,  who  was  about  seventeen  at  this  time,  became 
an  apprentice  to  a  silk  dyer.  Before  long  his  marriage  to 
Dorothy  May  was  recorded. 

When  they  had  been  in  Leyden  only  a  year,  the  Scrooby 
church  purchased  a  house  and  a  garden  in  Bell  Alley, 
or  Belfry  Lane,  in  the  very  heart  of  the  city  in  its  oldest 
and  finest  part.  They  gave  the  large  house,  in  the  chief 
sitting  room  of  which  they  held  their  meeting,  to  Pastor 
Robinson.  In  the  garden,  leaving  an  open  plot  in  the 
center,  they  put  up  about  twenty  little  wooden  houses,  in 
which  probably  the  whole  company  lived.  Their  neigh- 
bors thought  highly  of  them.  Bradford  tells  us  in  his  his- 
tory that  though  they  were  very  poor  "  yet  none  were  so 
poor  but  if  they  were  known  to  be  of  the  congregation,  the 
Dutch,  either  bakers  or  others,  would  trust  them  in  any 
reasonable  matter  when  they  wanted  money."  And  again, 
"  Because  they  had  found  by  experience  how  careful  they 
were  to  keep  their  word  and  saw  them  so  painful  and 
diligent  in  their  callings,  yet  they  would  strive  to  get  their 
custom  and  to  employ  them  above  others  in  their  work 
for  their  honesty  and  diligence."  Robinson  was  held  in 
high  esteem  at  the  University.  He  was  put  forward  by 


A  BOY  WHO  DARED  13 

the  professors  publicly  to  defend  their  principles  against 
criticisms  in  a  great  public  debate  held  in  the  city.  This 
he  did  several  times.  "  The  which,"  Bradford  tells  us, 
"as  it  causes  many  to  praise  God  yt  the  trueth  had 
so  famous  victory,  so  it  procured  him  much  honor  and 
respect  from  those  learned  men  and  others  which  loved  ye 
trueth." 

While  they  were  in  Ley  den,  others  whose  names  are 
very  familiar  joined  this  fellowship  of  Christians.  There 
was  Captain  Miles  Standish  of  the  English  Army,  who 
made  his  living  by  the  sword,  and  John  Carver,  who  was 
evidently  a  person  of  means  and  an  able  man  of  affairs. 
There  too  was  Samuel  Fuller,  the  well-loved  physician, 
wise,  tender,  loyal,  without  whose  aid  in  the  days  that 
followed  the  little  company  would  have  fared  badly. 
Another  was  Edward  Winslow,  a  gentleman  who  came  in 
his  travels  to  Ley  den  in  1617  and  was  so  impressed  with 
the  real  Christly  living  of  the  brotherhood  that  he  joined 
his  fortunes  with  theirs.  His  abilities  at  once  made  him 
prominent  amongst  them.  Thomas  Brewer,  too,  joined 
them.  He  also  became  a  student  at  the  University.  He 
it  was  who  gave  Brewster  the  funds  with  which  to  set  up 
as  a  printer.  Robert  Cushman,  still  another  who  joined 
the  company,  acted  as  their  agent  in  their  undertaking 
to  emigrate  to  America.  From  one  hundred  they  increased 
to  three  hundred.  Many  married,  some  within  their  own 
brotherhood,  others  into  Dutch  families.  "  So  they  grew 
in  knowledge  and  other  gifts  and  graces  of  ye  spirite  of  God 
and  lived  together  in  peace  and  love  and  holiness  and 
many  came  unto  them  from  diverse  parts  of  England; 
they  grew  a  great  congregation."  Thus  did  they  begin 
their  adventure. 


14      PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  the  gleam  which  people  follow  today? 

2.  What  did  following  the  gleam  mean  to  John  Wyclif? 

3.  Imagine  yourself  a  farmer's  boy  or  a  milkmaid  listening  to  the 
Lollards:   which  of  their  stories  would  impress  you  most? 

4.  What  was  the  difference  between  the  beliefs  of  the  Puritans 
and  those  of  the  Separatists? 

5.  In  what  ways  was  it  hard  for  William  Bradford  to  decide  to 
become  a  Separatist? 

6.  What  kind  of  experiences  did  he  have  after  joining  the  Scrooby 
church? 

7.  Is  it  as  hard  for  people  to  become  church  members  today? 

8.  What  finally  did  the  Scrooby  church  decide  to  do? 

9.  Why  are  Congregationalists  interested  in  this  Scrooby  church? 

10.  What  did  other  people  in  Leyden  think  of  the  Scrooby  church? 

11.  How  does  the  motto  of  this  chapter  describe  their  spirit? 

12.  If  the  gleam  does  not  come  from  the  sunlight,  moonlight,  or 
starlight,  where  does  it  come  from? 


II 

STEPPING-STONES 

"  Even  as  Stepping-Stones  unto  others  for  the  performing  of  so 
great  a  work." —  William  Bradford. 

Restless  for  a  New  Home 

These  exiles,  the  members  of  the  Scrooby  Church,  lived 
in  Leyden  about  twelve  years.  But  they  never  felt  really 
at  home  there  in  Holland.  They  were  English  folk  who 
loved  English  ways.  They  saw  their  children  growing 
up,  marrying  into  Dutch  families,  many  of  them  entering 
into  the  Dutch  army,  as  was  only  natural.  They  feared 
that  their  little  community  would  be  absorbed  by  the 
Dutch  life  around  them.  Moreover,  it  was  so  difficult  for 
these  farmer  folk  to  make  a  living  by  the  trades  and  handi- 
crafts of  the  time  that  they  could  not  afford  to  conduct 
schools  for  their  boys  and  girls;  and  the  hard  work  of 
making  a  living,  in  which  even  the  boys  and  girls  had  to 
take  their  part,  was  making  them  all  grow  old  too  soon,  and 
wearing  out  their  leaders  before  their  time.  Furthermore, 
they  could  not  keep  the  Lord's  Day  as  they  thought  right. 
Their  children  were  not  growing  up  with  the  same  vision 
that  had  lighted  their  way  so  far,  and  led  them  on.  Here 
in  Holland  surely  their  vision  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ 
could  not  be  made  real.  Back  to  England  they  could  not 
go,  for  there  prison  awaited  them.  They  longed  for  a 
place  where  they  might  begin  a  Christian  commonwealth 
and  give  to  others  the  gospel  they  so  dearly  loved.  It  was 
during  these  days  that  the  tales  of  the  brave  adventures 
of  Englishmen  in  the  land  across  the  seas  stirred  their 


16       PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

hearts.  There  they  might  find  a  home  under  the  Eng- 
lish flag,  where  they  could  perhaps,  as  Bradford  tells  us, 
"  lay  some  good  foundation,  or  at  least  make  some  way 
thereto,  for  propagating  and  advancing  the  Kingdom  of 
Christ  in  those  remote  parts  of  the  world,  yea,  though 
they  should  be  even  as  stepping-stones  unto  others  for  the 
performing  of  so  great  a  work." 

A  Test  of  Courage 

We  can  imagine  how  earnestly  and  eagerly  they  dis- 
cussed this  question:  Should  they  go  to  America? 
This  was  a  mighty  big  question  —  going  to  America. 
What  did  it  involve?  William  Bradford  must  have  been 
a  leader  in  all  these  discussions,  with  John  Carver, 
Edward  Winslow,  Pastor  Robinson,  and  Elder  Brewster. 
He  tells  us  himself  in  his  "  Historic  of  Plimouth  Planta- 
tion "  that  they  realized  the  obstacles;  they  were  not 
ignorant  of  the  danger.  In  the  first  place,  there  were 
the  dangers  and  uncertainties  of  a  sea  voyage.  The 
little  ships  that  sailed  in  those  days  were  far,  far  dif- 
ferent from  the  modern  steamers.  The  voyage  would 
be  very  long,  perhaps  too  long  and  hard  for  the  women 
and  older  people  to  endure.  Yet  even  if  they  should 
make  the  voyage  safely,  "  the  miseries  of  the  land  which 
they  should  be  exposed  to  would  be  too  hard  to  be 
borne."  There  they  "  should  be  liable  to  famine  and 
nakedness  and  ye  wante  in  a  maner  of  all  things.  The 
change  of  aire,  diate,  drinking  of  water  would  infecte 
their  bodies  with  sore  sicknesses,  and  grievous  diseases. 
And  also  those  which  should  escape  or  overcome  these 
difficulties  should  yet  be  in  continual  danger  of  ye 
savage  people  who  are  cruel,  barbarous  and  most  treach- 
erous." They  had  vivid  pictures  of  their  cannibalism. 


STEPPING  STONES  17 

They  realized  that  great  sums  of  money  would  be  needed 
to  furnish  such  a  voyage  and  to  buy  the  supplies  they 
would  need.  The  sale  of  their  estates  would  not  be 
enough  to  meet  their  expenses.  Most  folks  would  think 
that  these  were  reasons  enough  for  not  going  to  America. 
There  may  have  been  some  who  said  within  themselves, 
or  perhaps  aloud,  "  We  cannot  accomplish  this  great 
task.  Why  do  we  keep  on  struggling?  "  But  most  of 
these  men  and  women  whom  the  gleam  had  led  so  far, 
still  saw  it  ahead  of  them,  leading  them  further.  Ere 
it  vanished  and  the  vision  splendid  failed  to  become  real, 
they  must  up  and  after  it. 

Bradford  goes  on  to  tell  us  that  "  it  was  answered 
that  all  great  and  honourable  actions  are  accompanied 
with  great  difficulties  and  must  be  both  enterprised  and 
overcome  with  answerable  courages.  .  .  .  Their  con- 
dition was  not  ordinarie,  their  ends  were  good  and 
honourable;  their  calling  lawfull  and  urgente;  and 
therefore  they  might  expect  ye  blessing  of  God  in  their 
proceeding."  So  they  made,  by  vote  of  the  church, 
the  decision  which  has  made  history  —  they  would  go 
to  America.  In  spite  of  all  the  difficulties,  they  believed 
that  they  were  doing  right,  and  that  "  therefore  they 
might  expect  the  blessing  of  God  in  their  proceeding." 

Preparing  for  the  Venture 

Nearly  three  years,  three  very,  very  hard  years  it  was 
after  this  great  decision  was  made,  before  the  Pilgrims 
could  set  sail  on  the  great  adventure,  for  they  had  to 
decide  where  they  should  go,  next  who  should  go,  and 
finally  how  they  should  provide  themselves  with  the 
necessary  means.  At  last  the  decision  was  made  to 
apply  to  the  London  Virginia  Company  for  a  grant  of 


18       PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

land  in  what  was  then  called  Virginia,  north  of  the 
settlements  at  Jamestown  made  by  those  who  were  of 
the  Church  of  England.  They  sent  John  Carver  and 
Robert  Cushman  over  to  England  to  make  arrangements 
and  get  the  consent  of  King  James.  The  company  was 
willing  enough,  but  it  was  another  matter  to  win  King 
James'  approval.  This  he  gave  at  last,  though  rather 
ungraciously.  Yet  negotiations  were  so  long  that  the 
London  Virginia  Company  withdrew,  and  the  Pilgrims, 
urged  by  Thomas  Weston,  a  merchant  who  agreed  to 
furnish  funds,  consented  to  go  under  the  Plymouth 
Virginia  Company  to  the  northern  parts  of  Virginia 
which  was  to  be  called  New  England. 

At  length  all  was  settled.  As  the  majority  of  the 
church  was  to  remain  for  the  present,  Pastor  Robinson 
was  to  stay  in  Leyden,  while  Elder  Brewster  was  to  go 
with  the  smaller  company,  who  were  now  to  be  called 
Pilgrims.  They  had  bought  and  equipped  the  Speedwell, 
a  craft  of  60  tons,  and  Robert  Cushman  and  John  Carver 
over  in  London  and  Southampton  had  hired  the  May- 
flower of  180  tons.  Among  those  who  were  going,  to 
whom  the  Leyden  folk  gave  a  feast  before  they  went 
with  them  to  Delfshaven  to  see  them  set  sail,  were 
Edward  Winslow,  who  afterward  became  governor  of 
the  Colony,  Samuel  Fuller,  their  good  physician,  Miles 
Standish,  the  soldier,  and  William  Bradford.  Some  of 
the  men  in  the  company  had  to  leave  their  wives  and 
children  to  come  on  after  them.  Edward  Winslow,  in 
a  letter  to  friends  in  London  a  few  years  later,  tells  us 
of  the  farewell,  and  that  after  the  prayer  by  the  pastor 
they  were  "  not  able  to  speak  one  to  another,  for  the 
abundance  of  sorrow  to  part."  "  So  lifting  up  our 
hearts  for  each  other  to  the  Lord  our  God,  we  departed 


STEPPING-STONES  19 

and   found   His   presence  with   us,   in  the   midst  of  our 
manifold  straights  He  carried  us  through." 

Discouragements  and  Delays 

When  they  reached  Southampton  where  were  the  May- 
flower, with  Robert  Cushman  and  John  Carver  and 
others  waiting  to  join  them,  they  learned  of  changes  in 
the  agreement  which  Weston  had  forced  upon  Robert 
Cushman.  They  were  to  lose  their  privilege  of  working 
two  days  a  week  for  themselves,  and  the  ownership  of 
their  own  houses  and  garden  plots :  —  it  was  all  to  be 
part  of  the  common  stock.  They  at  first  refused,  but 
finally  they  were  forced  to  accept  the  terms.  Another 
difficulty  which  met  them  here  was  that,  while  they  had 
understood  Weston  to  pay  certain  of  their  debts,  he  had 
refused  and  left  them  to  get  on  as  they  could.  Their 
own  means  were  so  limited  that  they  were  forced  to  sell 
part  of  their  precious  stores  to  "  clear  things  at  their 
going  away."  Not  until  August  fifth  were  they  ready. 
Then  John  Carver  read  to  them,  before  they  set  sail,  a 
letter  from  their  dearly  loved  Pastor  Robinson.  Edward 
Winslow  wrote  his  friends  in  England:  "  He  urged  us 
'  to  follow  him  no  further  than  he  followed  Christ;  if 
God  should  reveal  anything  to  us  by  any  other  instru- 
ment of  His,  to  be  as  ready  to  receive  it  as  ever  we  were 
to  receive  any  truth  by  his  ministry,  for  he  was  very 
confident  that  the  Lord  had  more  truth  and  light  yet 
to  break  forth  out  of  his  Holy  Word.'  He  blessed  us 
tenderly.  Gladly  he  would  have  gone  with  us."  Their 
pastor  hoped  to  follow,  but  he  died  before  his  hope  was 
realized. 

Before  the  Pilgrims  had  gone  very  far,  it  was  dis- 
covered that  the  Speedwell  leaked  so  badly  that  they 


must  put  back  at  once,  for  fear  she  might  sink.  Some 
time  they  stayed  in  port,  while  the  craft  was  thoroughly 
overhauled,  no  doubt  anxiously  watching  the  lessening 
of  their  supplies  by  this  time  of  waiting.  Again  they 
set  sail.  This  time,  too,  the  Speedwell  proved  unsea- 
worthy.  With  what  despairing  hearts  must  they  have 
worked  at  the  pumps  trying  to  keep  the  ship  afloat 
until  she  could  again  reach  a  harbor.  Here  they  finally 
abandoned  the  ship.  (It  was  later  discovered  that  the 
Speedwell  had  been  overmasted,  perhaps  intentionally, 
for  she  was  later  sold  and  with  lighter  masts  sailed  many 
voyages  in  safety.)  Twenty  or  more  of  her  passengers 
were  put  ashore;  the  others  crowded  into  the  larger 
ship. 

A  Perilous  Voyage 

At  last  on  September  6,  1620,  the  Mayflower  with  her 
brave  little  company,  about  one  hundred  strong,  sailed 
from  Plymouth  Harbor?  At  first  they  had  good  winds, 
but  before  long  fierce  storms  overtook  them.  The  vessel 
was  strained.  Some  one  discovered  that  "  one  of  the 
main  beams  in  the  midship  was  bowed  and  cracked, 
which  put  them  in  some  fear  that  the  ship  could  not 
be  able  to  perform  the  voyage."  Leaks  were  threaten- 
ing. There  were  indeed  grave  and  anxious  hearts  in 
that  little  group  of  leaders  who  had  hastily  to  consider 
what  was  best  to  be  done.  The  master  of  the  ship 
declared  he  knew  that  the  ship  was  firm  and  strong 
under  water.  As  for  the  buckling  of  the  main  beam, 
that  could  be  remedied;  there  was  a  great  iron  screw 
one  of  the  passengers  had  brought  from  Holland  which 
could  raise  the  beam  into  place.  How  glad  must  have 
been  the  one  who  had  thought  to  provide  the  screw! 


STEPPING-STONES  21 

With  this  encouragement  "  they  committed  themselves  " 
—  as  often  and  always  they  had  done  and  would  do  — 
"  to  the  will  of  God  and  resolved  to  proceed."  Storm 
followed  storm.  For  days  together  the  winds  were  so 
fierce  and  high  that  no  sails  could  be  spread,  and  the 
ship  had  to  be  left  to  drift  before  the  winds  with 
the  bare  masts.  Yet  steadily  they  held  to  the  westward 
course.  The  power  of  our  Father  kept  that  ship  and 
crew  from  disaster  as  surely  as  he  did  the  little  vessel 
of  disciples  in  the  storm  on  Galilee. 

"Land,  ho!" 

On  Friday,  November  20th,  they  sighted  Cape  Cod, 
"  the  which  being  made  and  certainly  known  to  be  it, 
they  were  not  a  little  joyful."  Indeed  how  great  joy 
must  theirs  have  been  that  the  perils  of  the  sea  were 
past.  That  they  recognized  the  land  and  knew  it  by 
name  was  due  to  the  fact  that  Englishmen  had  ad- 
ventured up  and  down  these  coasts,  especially  Captain 
John  Smith,  who  had  explored  all  this  region  a  little 
time  before  and  had  made  a  map,  which  no  doubt  these 
Pilgrims  used.  As  their  patent  was  for  land  nearer  the 
Hudson  river,  they  tried  to  go  on,  but  the  favorable 
winds  failed  and  they  found  themselves  among  the 
breakers  of  the  treacherous  Nantucket  shoals.  Back 
they  turned  and  came  finally  to  anchor  on  Saturday, 
November  21st,  in  what  is  now  the  harbor  of  Province- 
town.  The  winds  from  the  shore  brought  them  the 
fragrance  of  the  pine  and  juniper  and  sassafras  of  the 
woods  that  came  down  nearly  to  the  water's  edge. 
With  grateful  hearts  they  thanked  God  for  all  his  guid- 
ance and  protection  and  deliverance  from  dangers  and 
miseries. 


22       PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

The  Mayflower  Compact 

The  peril  of  the  journey  was  behind  them;  now  new 
problems  faced  them,  and  to  these  they  turned.  On  the 
Saturday  morning  as  they  entered  the  Harbor,  a  group  of 
them  —  all  the  responsible  men  —  met  in  the  cabin  of 
the  Mayflower  to  decide  one  of  the  great  questions.  The}' 
were  not  going  to  settle  in  the  land  to  which  their  patent 
gave  them  the  right.  Then  what  should  be  their  govern- 
ment? Some  of  those  who  were  not  of  the  Scrooby  Church 
from  Leyden,  who  had  been  sent  out  by  Weston  and  the 
other  merchant  adventurers,  talked  largely  of  how  they 
would  use  their  freedom  once  they  were  ashore.  The  rest 
realized  that  no  one  could  be  free  to  do  as  he  pleased  with- 
out regard  for  the  welfare  of  the  others.  If  every  one  did 
that,  their  undertaking  would  fail.  They  must  cooperate. 
So  they  thought  that  by  meeting  together  and  agreeing 
upon  a  law  for  themselves  they  would  have  the  necessary 
authority  to  govern  all  the  company.  To  agree  upon  this 
law,  the  leaders  —  and  these  were  Carver  and  Elder 
Brewster,  Bradford,  and  Winslow,  Standish  and  Fuller  — 
called  the  rest  together  in  the  cabin.  There  they  drew 
up  that  morning  the  Mayflower  Compact.  By  this  docu- 
ment these  men  established  for  all  equal  laws  and  gave  to 
all  equal  opportunity. 

Thus,  many  years  before  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States  was  drawn  up,  this  agreement  made  every  one 
feel  that  the  little  new  colony  was  to  be  a  real  human 
brotherhood.  Each  man  had  individual  liberty  and  a 
voice  in  regulating  the  common  interests.  Yet  he  must 
not  abuse  his  liberty  by  putting  his  own  selfish  interest? 
before  the  common  good.  Every  one  had  his  own  rights, 
yes,  but  he  had  also  his  obligations  to  the  rest  of  the  com- 
pany. These  must  not  conflict.  This  compact  was  signed 


STEPPING-STONES  23 

by  forty-one  of  the  people.     Then  they  chose  John  Carver 
for  their  governor. 

Exploring  Parties 

That  afternoon  about  fifteen  or  sixteen  could  wait  no 
longer  to  explore  the  shore.  The  ship  could  get  no  nearer 
than  three-quarters  of  a  mile,  "  so  that  they  were  forced 
to  wade  a  bowshot  or  two  which  caused  many  to  get  colds 
and  coughs."  They  found  the  land  all  wooded  with  oaks, 
pines,  sassafras,  juniper,  birch,  holly,  vines,  ash  and  wal- 
nut. How  good  the  land  seemed,  even  though  it  was  rather 
bleak  that  late  November  Saturday  afternoon!  They  got 
wood,  juniper,  which  they  sorely  needed,  and  returned. 
Sunday,  eager  as  they  were  to  explore  the  land  that  was 
to  be  their  new  home,  they  kept  the  day  holy. 

The  next  day,  Monday,  more  went  ashore,  the  young 
folks  to  refresh  themselves,  the  women  to  do  the  washing. 
We  can  just  imagine  the  bustle  with  which  the  men  put 
swords,  muskets  and  armor  into  condition  for  use,  and 
made  handles  for  the  various  tools  they  would  need.  How 
eager  must  have  been  their  talk  of  all  that  they  would  do! 
Who  wonders  that  the  men  were  eager  to  explore,  that  they 
were  impatient  of  delay,  while  their  small  boat,  the  shallop, 
was  being  made  usable? 

It  is  therefore  no  surprise  to  learn  that  though  the 
shallop  was  not  ready,  by  Wednesday  sixteen  men  led  by 
Standish  and  Bradford  were  permitted  in  their  impatience 
to  go  forth  in  search  of  the  spot  which  might  be  fit  for  their 
settlement.  We  may  realize  their  eagerness  for  this  sort 
of  cross-country  hiking  and  camping  out  when  we  realize 
that  it  was  winter,  that  they  had  to  wade  nearly  waist- 
deep  to  reach  the  shore  and  that  they  spent  two  nights 
in  just  a  rough  shelter,  sleeping  in  their  wet  clothes.  It 


24       PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

was  hardly,  camping-out  .weather!  They  saw  six  Indians, 
who  ran  at  their  approach,  and  though  they  followed  their 
footprints  for  some  distance,  they  could  not  overtake  them. 
However,  they  made  some  interesting  discoveries  of  some 
Indian  graves,  in  which  were  a  small  old  basket  and  a 
"  faire  new  basket  round  and  narrowed  at  the  top  "  con- 
taining maise  or  Indian  corn,  and  a  great  iron  ship's  kettle, 
"out  of  Europe"  —  evidently  a  bit  of  wreckage.  They 
took  the  kettle  and  as  much  of  the  corn  as  they  could,  plan- 
ning to  return  the  kettle  and  pay  for  the  corn  when  they 
met  the  owners.  (This  they  were  able  to  do  about  six 
months  later.)  They  found  four  springs  of  delicious  water 
and  plenty  of  fowl  and  deer.  The  third  day  of  their  trip, 
while  they  were  on  the  way  back,  Bradford  had  an  amusing 
experience.  He  was  caught  in  a  trap  for  deer  made  by  the 
Indians  by  simply  bending  a  sapling.  Though  they  had 
many  interesting  things  to  tell  on  their  return  —  think 
how  those  boys  and  girls  on  the  ship  must  have  listened  — 
they  could  not  report  that  they  had  found  a  place  for  a 
settlement.  Their  second  exploring  trip  brought  them  no 
nearer  a  decision. 

Ten  days  later  the  third  exploring  party  left  the  May- 
flower. There  were  eighteen  of  them  in  all,  ten  of  whom 
were  Pilgrims  who,  though  they  "  were  appointed,"  "  of 
themselves  were  willing  to  go  "  —  Standish,  Carver, 
Bradford,  Winslow,  Howland  and  others,  besides  two  sea- 
men, two  mates,  the  master  gunner  and  three  sailors.  It 
was  so  cold  that  the  spray  froze  on  the  clothes  of  the  party 
and  "  made  them  many  times  like  coats  of  iron."  They 
landed  for  the  night.  The  next  day  they  spent  exploring, 
but  found  nothing.  The  third  morning  as  they  were  about 
to  set  out  in  the  shallop,  they  were  startled  by  loud  war- 
whoops,  a  cry  of  "  Men,  Indians!  Indians!  "  and  a  shower 


STEPPING-STONES  25 

of  arrows.  Captain  Standish  quickly  fired  off  his  musket, 
and  after  a  few  anxious  minutes,  the  Indians  vanished  as 
suddenly  as  they  had  come.  No  harm  was  done,  except 
to  the  coats  hanging  up  in  their  shelter;  these  were  shot 
through  and  through  with  arrows. 

After  they  had  gone  some  little  distance  in  the  shallop, 
it  began  to  snow  and  rain  and  the  wind  grew  stronger. 
By  the  afternoon  the  sea  was  very  rough  indeed.  To  make 
matters  worse,  the  rudder  broke  and  two  men  had  to  steer 
the  boat  with  oars.  The  mast  split  into  three  pieces  and 
had  to  be  cut  loose  from  the  ship  lest  it  capsize.  It  grew 
darker  and  darker.  They  were  being  driven  before  the 
wind,  whither  they  could  not  see.  The  sound  of  breakers 
warned  them  they  were  near  the  shore.  They  thought 
they  were  indeed  lost.  Here,  Bradford  tells  us,  that 
"  a  lusty  seaman  which  steered  bade  those  that  rowed  if 
they  were  men  about  with  her,  or  else  they  were  all  cast 
away,  the  which  they  did  with  speed.  So  he  bid  them  be 
of  good  cheer  and  row  lustily;  for  there  was  a  faire  wind 
before  them  and  he  doubted  not  but  that  they  should  find 
one  place  or  other  where  they  might  ride  in  safety.  And 
tho  it  was  very  dark  and  rained  sore,  yet  in  the  end  they 
got  under  the  lee  of  a  small  island  and  remained  there  all 
night  in  safety."  Of  this  same  event  Winslow  writes, 
"  Still  the  Lord  kept  us,  and  we  bare  up  for  an  island  before 
us;  and  recovering  that  island,  being  compassed  about  with 
many  rocks,  and  dark  night  growing  upon  us,  it  pleased 
divine  Providence  that  we  fall  upon  a  piece  of  sandy  ground 
where  our  shallop  did  ride  safe  and  secure  all  that  night." 
Bradford's  account  goes  on :  "  Tho  this  had  been  a  day  and 
a  night  of  much  trouble  and  danger  unto  them,  yet  God 
gave  them  a  morning  of  comfort  and  refreshing  —  as 
usually  He  does  to  His  children  —  for  the  next  day  was 


26       PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

a  fair,  sunshining  day  and  they  found  themselves  to  be 
on  an  island  secure  from  the  Indians  where  they  might  dry 
their  stuff,  fix  their  pieces  and  rest  themselves.  .  .  .  This 
being  the  last  day  of  the  week,  they  prepared  there  to  keep 
the  Sabbath." 

It  would  surely  seem  as  though  these  people  might  have 
been  pardoned  had  they  continued  to  explore  instead  of 
observing  Sunday.  Captain  Jones  did  not  approve  of 
spending  so  much  time  and  being  so  critical  of  the  places 
where  they  must  settle,  and  was  threatening  to  put  them 
and  their  goods  ashore  and  return  to  England.  They 
must  work  quickly  for  every  day  was  precious  and  their 
supplies  were  rapidly  growing  less.  Winter  was  upon  them ; 
they  must  get  their  houses  built.  Many  of  their  friends 
were  ill,  some  had  died.  The  land  they  had  come  to  ex- 
plore lay  right  before  them.  They  had  rested  in  the  warm, 
bright  sunshine  of  Saturday  and  made  everything  ready  for 
their  further  going  on.  No  one  would  know  even  if  they 
should  not  observe  the  day.  Yet  they  quietly  and  loyally 
lived  up  to  their  convictions. 

Building  New  Homes 

On  Monday  morning,  December  21,  they  explored  the 
mainland.  It  is  not  hard  to  imagine  the  joy  with  which 
they  discovered  that  the  harbor  was  fit  for  shipping,  that 
there  was  a  great  quantity  of  land  already  cleared  where 
corn  had  once  been  planted,  and  that  there  were  many  little 
running  brooks  that  would  give  good  drinking  water. 
Captain  Standish,  of  course,  would  be  the  one  to  notice 
that  this  location  was  protected  on  the  east  by  the  harbor, 
on  the  south  by  a  great  brook  in  a  deep  ravine,  and  on  the 
west  by  a  steep  hill  where,  by  planting  their  cannon,  they 
could  protect  the  harbor.  Tuesday  they  set  forth  for  the 


STEPPING-STONES  27 

ship,  eager  to  tell  the  good  news.  How  the  hearts  of  the 
men  must  have  been  full  with  the  thoughts  of  the  homes 
they  would  now  begin  to  build!  Poor  William  Bradford! 
The  first  news  they  learned  on  their  return  was  that  Mistress 
Dorothy  Bradford  had  fallen  overboard  and  been  drowned. 
It  was  a  sad  return  for  him.  He  met  it  with  an  "  answera- 
ble courage." 

On  consulting  their  map,  it  was  found  that  this  place  had 
been  called  Plymouth  by  Captain  John  Smith.  Here  they 
decided  to  go,  and  on  Saturday,  December  26th,  they 
anchored  in  the  harbor  and  called  it  "  New  Plymouth." 
After  resting  on  Sunday  they  spent  Monday  and  Tuesday 
in  further  exploring.  Though  some  rather  favored  the 
island  and  others  a  site  further  up  on  the  river,  they  de- 
cided on  settling  on  the  land  because  of  the  "  high  ground," 
the  "  deal  of  cleared  land,"  the  "good  harbor,"  the  "  de- 
licious springs  "  and  "  sweet  brooks  "  which  "  promised 
much  good  fish  in  their  season."  They  found  plenty  of 
fowl  too. 

That  night  a  party  decided  to  stay  ashore  and  have 
those  on  the  ship  join  them  in  the  morning  and  begin  work 
at  once,  but  severe  storms  kept  them  apart  so  that  it  was 
Saturday,  January  2,  before  all  could  go  ashore  and  begin 
to  cut  down  and  carry  the  trees  with  which  they  were  to 
build  their  houses,  and  gather  other  material  for  building. 

It  was  hard  work,  a  very  commonplace  sort  of  daily 
drudgery,  this.  Yet  it  was  the  next  thing  they  had  to  do. 
Probably  they  did  not  think  they  were  doing  a  momentously 
great  work;  they  thought  they  were  just  at  last  really 
going  to  build  their  homes.  Yet  in  fact  they  were  laying 
the  foundations  of  a  great  nation,  becoming  indeed  as  Brad- 
ford told  us  they  had  hoped  they  might,  "as  stepping-stones 
unto  others  for  the  performing  of  a  great  work." 


28      PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

They  planned  to  build  eighteen  or  nineteen  houses,  on 
either  side  of  a  street  running  back  from  the  shore  to  the 
hill.  Each  family  was  to  build  its  own  house,  and  the  single 
men  were  assigned  to  different  families.  Besides  this 
there  was  to  be  a  common  house  to  be  used  as  a  shelter, 
a  meeting-place,  and  a  storehouse  for  their  goods.  They 
set  about  putting  this  up  at  once.  It  was  twenty  feet 
square,  built  of  logs  and  thatched.  This  caught  fire  and 
was  burned.  It  took  them  a  month  to  complete  it  on 
account  of  all  the  accidents  and  sickness  that  followed. 
Only  seven  of  the  houses  were  built  that  winter,  for  the 
first  had  to  be  used  as  a  hospital. 

A  Winter  of  Suffering 

Sickness  came  suddenly  upon  them.  During  Decem- 
ber six  died;  in  January,  eight;  in  February,  seventeen; 
in  March,  thirteen.  Out  of  the  one  hundred  and  one 
people  there  had  been  at  first,  including  women  and 
children,  fifty-one  were  left  at  the  end  of  the  winter. 
It  is  not  hard  to  understand  why.  In  the  first  place, 
their  life  had  been  hard  while  they  were  crowded  to- 
gether on  the  ship.  Then  had  followed  all  the  exposures 
and  hardships  of  landing  on  an  uninhabited  shore  in  the 
winter.  They  were  unused  to  outdoor  life,  for  during 
their  stay  in  Holland  they  had  worked  indoors.  Be- 
sides all  this,  they  had  not  been  well  fed,  nor  were  they 
sufficiently  clothed,  and  they  had  waded  ashore  from 
the  ship  each  time  they  had  landed,  had  tramped  the 
snow  in  rain  and  sleet,  and  slept  out  of  doors  in  wet 
clothes.  The  houses  were  not  well  enough  built  to  be 
really  comfortable  and  warm.  There  were  so  many  of 
them  sick  at  a  time  that  often  only  seven  were  well 
enough  to  care  for  the  rest.  Elder  Brewster,  Miles 


STEPPING-STONES  29 

Standish,  and  Dr.  Fuller  were  their  great  comfort.  One 
of  the  saddest  parts  of  their  tale  is  the  fact  that  of  the 
eighteen  mothers  and  wives,  only  five  lived  through  the 
year.  This  giving  of  themselves  by  these  Pilgrim 
mothers  must  be  remembered  with  the  heroism  of  their 
husbands.  The  five  who  survived  bore  the  burden  of 
caring  for  the  children  and  the  men,  performing  the 
daily  tasks,  and  making  beautiful  homes;  by  their  quiet 
courage  and  devotion  they  win  our  love  and  admiration. 

New  Neighbors 

There  was  great  anxiety  too  on  account  of  their  In- 
dian neighbors.  They  levelled  off  and  trampled  the 
burial  places  of  their  companions,  lest  the  Indians  see 
how  great  had  been  their  losses,  and  how  few  people 
remained.  Frequent  glimpses  were  reported  of  Indians 
skulking  on  the  outskirts  of  the  clearing.  One  day 
some  tools  which  the  men  had  left  in  the  woods  were 
taken  by  the  Indians.  Captain  Standish  was  glad  when 
finally  the  platform  had  been  built  on  the  hill  above 
the  settlement  and  the  cannon  mounted  on  it.  With 
this  fear  constantly  before  them,  their  surprise  may  be 
imagined  when  one  day  an  Indian  walked  into  their 
midst  saying,  in  English,  "  Welcome,  Englishmen." 
This  was  Samoset.  To  the  men  crowding  about  him  in 
amazement,  he  said  that  he  had  learned  a  little  English 
from  the  sailors  who  had  been  fishing  along  the  coast 
and  that  the  place  where  the  Pilgrims  had  settled  had  be- 
longed to  the  Patuxets,  a  tribe  which  had  been  wiped  out 
by  a  plague  several  years  before.  He  told  them  of 
Massasoit,  the  grand  sachem  of  the  Cape  Cod  Indians. 
In  a  day  or  two  Samoset  returned  bringing  with  him  five 
Indians  of  Massasoit's  tribe  who  brought  beaver  skins 


30      PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

to  sell  and  a  message  that  Massasoit  planned  a  visit 
to  the  colony.  A  few  days  later,  he  came  again,  bring- 
ing with  him  Squanto,  the  only  survivor  of  the  Patuxet 
tribe.  He  had  been  kidnapped  and  taken  to  England, 
where  he  had  learned  a  little  English,  and  he  had  re- 
turned by  and  by  with  another  expedition.  Samoset 
said  that  Massasoit  was  on  his  way.  There  was  great 
anxiety.  Finally  Winslow  volunteered  to  go  to  confer 
with  him,  even  though  all  felt  he  was  going  into  great 
danger.  Cordially  inviting  Massasoit  to  visit  the  set- 
tlement, he  stayed  with  the  Indians  beyond  the  brook 
while  the  chief  went  on  to  the  town  with  some  of  his 
warriors.  The  colonists  treated  him  most  courteously. 
Then  they  made  a  treaty  that  was  kept  faithfully, 
promising  that  they  would  aid  each  other  in  time  of  war, 
and  that  individuals  of  either  side  who  should  harm  any 
ofVthe  other  should  be  punished. 

Good-bye  to  the  Mayflower 

By  this  time  it  was  April  and  the  Mayflower  was 
ready  to  return  to  England.  Not  one  of  those  who  had 
endured  so  much,  and  who  must  still  face  so  much, 
asked  to  go  back.  From  the  hill  back  of  the  town,  this 
brave  company  watched  the  little  ship  hoist  anchor  and 
set  sail  for  England.  Sickness,  death,  hunger,  cold, 
hard  work,  unceasing  work,  loneliness,  lack  of  comfort 
were  not  sufficient  to  compel  them  to  cease  following 
the  gleam  which  had  led  them  to  that  place.  They  had 
again  "  committed  themselves  unto  the  Lord  and  re- 
solved to  proceed."  They  turned  quietly  back  to  their 
daily  tasks.  Later  on  in  the  month  John  Carver  died, 
and  William  Bradford,  though  still  weak  and  sick  with 
the  fever,  was  chosen  governor  in  his  place.  Except  for 


STEPPING-STONES  31 

a  few  years,  he  continued  to  be  their  governor  till  his 
death. 

An  Indian  Friend 

Squanto  now  came  to  live  with  them.  He  seemed  to 
take  them  under  his  protection,  teaching  them  much 
that  was  of  great  aid.  He  showed  them  how  to  catch 
fish  and  eels  in  the  Town  brook,  how  and  when  to  plant 
the  Indian  corn  they  had  found  in  November.  Without 
his  aid  they  would  have  died.  During  the  summer 
Winslow  and  Hopkins,  guided  by  Squanto,  visited  Mas- 
sasoit  and  further  won  his  friendship,  and  later  Standish 
under  the  same  guidance  explored  Massachusetts  Bay, 
as  Boston  harbor  was  then  called.  Squanto  long  re- 
mained their  friend  and  years  afterward,  when  dying, 
asked  them  to  pray  that  he  might  go  to  the  white  man's 
God. 

Struggling,  yet  Giving  Thanks 

In  the  fall  they  harvested  their  small  crop  and  laid 
up  supplies  for  winter,  at  the  same  time  preparing  wood 
to  send  back  to  England.  During  this  first  year  they 
had  laid  the  foundations  of  a  democratic  state.  They 
had  chosen  their  governor  and  made  laws,  begun  to 
trade  with  the  Indians,  made  treaties  with  them,  and 
begun  to  train  a  militia.  Their  crops,  thanks  to  Squanto, 
had  been  fairly  successful.  No  wonder  then  that  Gover- 
nor Bradford  set  aside  a  time  for  giving  thanks  for  all 
the  goodness  of  God  to  them.  He  sent  four  men  out 
after  fowl  and  invited  Massasoit  and  some  ninety  men  to 
share  their  feast.  While  the  warriors  looked  on,  the 
men  drilled  and  enjoyed  games  of  strength.  This  was 
the  first  Thanksgiving. 


32       PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

Dauntless  Heroes 

The  account  of  the  later  struggles  and  successes  of 
this  little  colony  is  extremely  interesting.  It  would  be 
inspiring  to  follow  it.  However,  the  experiences  of  the 
first  year  are  enough  to  show  the  dauntless  spirit  of 
these  Pilgrims.  They  were  indeed  stepping-stones  unto 
others  performing  a  great  work.  No  doubt  the  Puritans 
would  have  come  to  New  England  eventually;  they  were 
the  readier  to  embark  because  the  Pilgrims  had  succeeded 
in  their  undertaking.  Some  one  has  said  that  while 
seeking  religious  freedom,  they  established  civil  liberty 
— "  meaning  only  to  found  a  church,  gave  birth  to  a 
nation,  and  in  settling  a  town,  commenced  an  empire." 

TO  THE  PUPIL 

You  will  find  William  Bradford's  Historic  of  Plimouth  Plantation 
a  very  interesting  account  of  the  adventures  of  the  Pilgrims.  The 
quotations  in  this  chapter  are  from  that  book. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  made  Bradford  and  his  friends  leave  Holland? 

2.  What  made  going  to  America  such  an  adventure? 

3.  What  difficulties  did  the  Pilgrims  have  in  preparing  for  their 
journey? 

4.  Tell  their  experiences  on  the  voyage. 

5.  With  what  spirit  did  the  Pilgrims  meet  danger  and  difficulty? 
Would  this  make  them  good  pioneers  in  a  great  adventure? 

6.  How  did  the  Pilgrims  decide  to  govern  their  colony?    In  what 
way  is  their  form  of  government  like  that  of  the  Boy  Scouts  or 
Camp  Fire  Girls? 

7.  Pretending  you  were  one  of  the  people  on  the  first  exploring 
party,  tell  of  your  adventures  as  you  might  have  reported  them  that 
night  on  your  return  to  the  Mayflower  cabin. 

8.  What  adventures  did  the  third  party  have?    For  what  do  you 
admire  these  men? 


STEPPING-STONES  33 

9.  Why  did  the  Pilgrims  settle  at  Plymouth? 

10.  How  did  they  begin  to  carry  out  the  plans  for  the  colony? 

11.  What  hard  things  did  they  endure  that  winter? 

12.  Why  did  they  not  give  up  and  go  back  to  England? 

13.  How  did  they  make  friends  with  the  Indians? 

14.  Can  you  tell  how  it  was  that  the  Pilgrims  did  indeed  become, 
as  Bradford  hoped  they  would,  "  stepping-stones  to  others  "? 


Ill 

MARCHING   FORWARD 

"  One  who  never  turned  his  back  but  marched  breast  forward  ; 
Never  doubted  clouds  would  break." 

—  Brmoning. 

While  the  Pilgrims  at  Plymouth  were  busy  about  the 
humdrum  daily  tasks  by  which  they  were  nevertheless 
laying  the  foundations  of  a  new  state,  the  great  ad- 
venture for  democracy  was  going  forward  in  England 
also. 

John  Winthrop  —  Traitor? 

John  Winthrop  was  surely  one  "  who  never  turned 
his  back  but  marched  breast  forward."  He  became 
leader  of  a  great  enterprise  for  which  today  he  is  greatly 
honored.  Yet  in  his  own  time  because  he  chose  to 
follow  this  way  of  life,  the  majority  of  people  thought 
of  him  otherwise.  "  All  experience  tells  me,"  he  wrote, 
"  that  in  this  way  there  is  least  companie,  and  those 
who  doe  walk  openlye  in  this  way  shal  be  despised, 
pointed  at,  hated  of  the  world,  made  a  byeword,  re- 
viled, slandered,  rebuked,  made  a  gazinge-stock,  called 
puritans,  nice  fools,  hipocrites,  hairbrainde  fellows,  rashe, 
indiscreet,  vain-glorious,  and  all  that  naught  is."  John 
Winthrop  had  chosen  to  be  a  Puritan.  In  his  time  it 
was  a  term  of  reproach,  equal  almost  to  traitor.  He,  with 
others  who  agreed  with  him,  dared  to  defy  the  power 
of  the  king.  The  king  decreed  that,  just  as  it  was 
blasphemous  to  dispute  God's  power,  so  it  was  pre- 


MARCHING  FORWARD  35 

sumptuous  for  a  subject  to  dispute  a  king's  power. 
They  dared  to  say  that  his  power  on  earth  was  not  the 
same  as  God's,  and  that  he  had  no  divine  right  to  rule. 
They  declared  that  all  power  and  authority  were  from 
the  people  and  that  it  was  their  right  to  act  as  their 
consciences  and  the  law  of  God  directed.  The  judges 
declared  that  such  disputes  would  lead  to  rebellion  and 
must  be  forbidden.  It  was  the  subject's  duty  to  obey; 
the  people  had  no  power  and  authority.  The  University 
of  Oxford  even  went  so  far  as  to  state  that  it  was  never 
lawful  to  take  up  arms  against  princes. 

The  Puritans,  however,  kept  on  demanding  reforms 
whenever  Parliament  met.  As  Parliament  included 
many  Puritans  in  its  membership,  it  refused  to  vote 
supplies  until  reforms  were  granted.  The  king  finally 
tried  to  get  on  without  Parliament.  Needing  money, 
however,  and  kings  by  divine  right  seemed  to  need  a 
great  deal,  the  king  was  compelled  to  summon  it,  but 
forbade  it  to  discuss  affairs  of  state.  Then  the  Puritans 
became  more  fearless  than  before  and  boldly  announced 
that  they  had  the  right  to  speak  freely.  When  the  king 
tried  to  raise  money  in  illegal  ways,  the  Puritans  re- 
fused to  pay  these  taxes.  For  doing  this  and  for  pub- 
licly declaring  their  principles,  they  were  fined  and  im- 
prisoned. John  Winthrop  burned  with  indignation  over 
the  cruel  and  unjust  treatment  given  to  his  friend,  Sir 
John  Eliot.  Their  ministers  suffered  too.  They  were 
compelled  to  leave  their  pulpits  and  forbidden  to  preach 
either  in  open  fields  or  private  houses,  to  teach  school, 
to  practise  medicine,  or  engage  in  business.  Yet  facing 
all  this,  they  never  turned  their  backs  but  marched 
breast  forward.  John  Winthrop  began  to  feel  that 
something  more  must  be  done.  He  longed  for  a  way  of 


36      PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

escape,  the  opportunity  to  build  up  a  state  whose  laws 
were  based  upon  those  of  the  Bible.  There  seemed  no 
possibility  of  gaining  this  in  England.  Why  not  go 
elsewhere,  to  Ireland,  perhaps,  and  there  lay  the  founda- 
tions? Yet,  no,  not  to  Ireland.  Why  not  to  America? 
Three  years  before  the  Separatists  had  gone.  News 
had  come  of  their  success  in  beginning  anew.  Might 
they  not  do  the  same?  Others  to  whom  he  spoke  of  his 
plan  agreed  that  the  adventure  might  be  wise. 

Pioneers 

The  very  first  Puritan  settlement  was  made  by  a 
company  of  fishermen  on  Cape  Ann.  This  was  begun 
in  1624  with  Roger  Conant  as  superintendent  for  the 
Dorchester  Company.  In  the  second  year,  the  company 
gave  it  up  and  most  of  them  went  back  to  England. 
Roger  Conant  then  wrote  to  John  White,  a  Puritan 
minister  who  was  the  chief  patron  of  the  company,  that 
a  better  place  for  a  colony  was  Naumkeag  (afterwards 
called  Salem).  So  to  Salem  in  September,  1628,  came 
Captain  John  Endecott  with  his  wife  and  forty  others 
sent  out  by  the  "  Company  of  Massachusetts  Bay," 
which  under  White's  leadership  had  been  organized  that 
year  in  England.  Their  first  winter  was  very  hard. 
There  was  not  sufficient  shelter,  nor  food,  and  conse- 
quently there  was  severe  sickness.  Captain  Endecott 
sent  to  Plymouth  for  help  and  Governor  William  Brad- 
ford responded  by  sending  their  kind  Dr.  Fuller.  The 
letter  of  thanks  which  Governor  Endecott  wrote  Gover- 
nor Bradford  when  Dr.  Fuller  returned  in  the  spring 
has  fortunately  been  preserved.  In  it  he  tells  of  his 
gratitude  for  Dr.  Fuller's  comfort  and  care.  Moreover 
he  added  that  Dr.  Fuller's  explanation  of  their  form  of 


MARCHING  FORWARD  37 

church  worship  and  government  had  convinced  him  that 
it  was  right.  Thus  the  colony  of  the  Puritans  at  Salem 
and  that  of  Separatists  at  Plymouth  were  brought  to 
understand  each  other. 

The  next  year  the  Massachusetts  Company  sent  out  six 
vessels  bearing  nearly  four  hundred  persons,  besides  live 
stock  and  equipment.  Four  ministers  were  of  the  com- 
pany, for  the  Massachusetts  Bay  Company  was  planting 
a  Christian  colony  and  hoping  to  Christianize  the  Indians. 
When  it  came  time  to  form  a  church,  the  people  elected 
Mr.  Shelton  as  pastor  and  Mr.  Higginson  as  leader  and 
entered  into  a  covenant  with  each  other  which  read,  so 
far  as  it  has  been  preserved,  as  follows:  "We  covenant 
with  the  Lord  and  one  with  another,  and  do  bind  ourselves 
in  the  presence  of  God  to  walk  together  in  all  His  ways 
according  as  He  is  pleased  to  reveal  Himself  unto  us  in 
His  blessed  Word  of  Truth."  This  church  was  founded 
just  as  the  Scrooby  Church  had  been.  This  was  the  second 
Congregational  Church  in  America,  the  first  one  which 
was  organized  here.  On  the  day  set  apart  for  publicly 
installing  the  ministers  by  prayer  and  laying  hands  on  them, 
Governor  Bradford  and  others  from  Plymouth  came  up  to 
extend  the  "  right  hand  of  fellowship." 

A  Daring  Plan 

Shortly  after  the  Salem  colony  had  left  England,  John 
Winthrop  made  a  new  proposal.  This  was  that,  provided 
the  charter  of  the  Massachusetts  Company  could  be  taken 
across  the  seas  with  them,  certain  of  the  chief  men  of  the 
company  and  their  families  themselves  should  undertake  a 
settlement.  He  was  willing  to  be  one  of  the  adventurers. 
After  much  discussion  it  was  decided  that  the  charter 
could  be  carried  to  America  and  Winthrop's  suggestion 


38       PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

should    be    followed.     He    was    chosen    governor    of    the 
company. 

A  storm  of  protest  now  rose  from  Winthrop's  less  brave 
and  far-seeing  friends:  "Your  church  and  your  country 
need  you  at  home.  You  are  one  of  our  leaders  here,  and 
here  all  your  friends  wish  you  to  remain.  Besides  you 
are  now  more  than  forty  years  old,  quite  too  old  to  under- 
take so  uncertain  an  enterprise.  Consider  now.  You 
have  lived  in  wealth  and  ease;  have  not  been  brought  up 
to  a  life  in  the  wilderness.  You  are  risking  your  whole 
fortune,  too,  and  surely  you  will  not  be  selfishly  unmindful 
of  your  family  and  let  them  endure  the  hardships  which 
you  will  certainly  meet." 

A  Man  of  Courage 

But  John  Winthrop,  in  spite  of  all  these  arguments, 
renewed  over  and  over  again,  remained  loyal  to  his  convic- 
tion that  God  would  have  him  lead  this  people  across  the 
sea  where  a  state  and  a  church  might  be  established  ac- 
cording to  his  holy  laws.  Yet  he  carried  a  very  heavy 
heart.  His  dear  wife  Margaret  could  not  go  with  him. 
They  must  be  separated  for  a  time.  They  hoped  she  soon 
might  follow  him.  They  trusted  in  God's  care.  He  wrote 
her:  "  Seeinge  he  calls  me  into  his  worke,  he  will  have  care 
of  thee  and  all  ours  and  our  affairs  in  my  absence ;  there 
fore  I  must  send  thee  to  him  for  all  thou  lackest;  goe  boldly 
(sweet  wife)  to  the  throne  of  Grace;  if  anything  trouble 
thee  acquainte  the  Lord  with  it."  In  reply  Margaret 
wrote :  "  My  good  Husband  cheare  up  thy  hart  in  the 
expectation  of  God's  goodness  to  us,  and  let  nothing  dismay 
and  discourage  thee;  if  the  Lord  be  with  us,  who  can  be 
against  us."  It  is  not  any  wonder  that  Winthrop  replied, 
"  Blessed  be  God  who  hath  given  me  a  wife  who  is  such  a 


MARCHING  FORWARD  39 

helpe  and  incouragement  to  me  in  this  greate  worke." 
Margaret's  encouragement  and  the  loyalty  of  his  eldest 
son  John  and  the  feeling  that  he  was  obedient  to  God's  will 
helped  him  in  all  the  busy  days  of  the  five  months  that 
were  left  before  the  company  was  to  set  sail.  He  had  funds 
to  raise,  ships  to  provide,  supplies  to  purchase,  ministers 
and  a  doctor  to  choose,  his  own  estate  to  sell  and  his  affairs 
to  settle,  and  consultations  of  the  Massachusetts  Bay  Com- 
pany to  hold  so  that  he  would  be  able  to  govern  well  when 
they  at  length  reached  Salem. 

At  last  all  preparations  were  completed  and  with  Mar- 
garet's two  little  boys,  Stephen  and  Adam,  he  set  forth. 
From  the  ship,  the  Arbelia,  while  they  were  at  anchor  at 
Cowes  just  before  they  left,  he  sent  Margaret  his  farewell: 
"  And  now,  my  sweet  soul,  I  must  again  take  my  last  fare- 
well of  thee  in  Old  England.  It  goeth  very  near  my  heart 
to  leave  thee,  but  I  know  to  whom  I  have  committed  thee 
even  to  Him  who  loves  thee  better  than  any  husband  can, 
who  can,  and  (if  it  be  for  his  glory)  will  bring  us  together 
again  with  peace  and  comfort.  Oh  how  it  refresheth  my 
heart  to  think  I  shall  yet  again  see  thy  sweet  face  in  the 
land  of  the  living.  .  .  .  Therefore  I  will  only  take  thee  now 
and  my  sweet  children  in  mine  arms,  and  kiss  and  embrace 
you  all  and  so  leave  you  with  God."  These  quotations 
from  the  letters  of  John  Winthrop  reveal  the  spirit  of  the 
man,  his  high  faith,  unfaltering  courage,  tenderness,  and 
thought  for  others. 

Who  were  the  Puritans  ? 

It  was  such  folk  as  he  who  followed  the  gleam  that 
shone  across  the  sea.  They  represented  the  rank,  wealth, 
beauty,  chivalry,  learning,  accomplishment,  and  genius  of 
the  time.  They  were  not  as  a  class  rude  or  ungraceful. 


40      PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

They  enjoyed  good  music  and  art  and  the  harmless  gaiety 
and  sport  of  English  country  life.  Their  sternness  was  the 
result  of  their  struggle  to  maintain  truth  and  establish 
righteousness.  They  stood  for  godly  living  and  condemned 
only  what  they  came  to  feel  would  prevent  that.  They  had 
very  high  ideals  for  the  good  of  the  state.  For  them  they 
would  sacrifice  much.  There  was  never  a  group  of  colon- 
ists among  whom  were  so  many  university-trained  men 
who  were  the  very  choicest  spirits  of  their  times. 

Beginning  to  Build 

Their  voyage  was  not  without  excitement.  Those  were 
days  of  conflict  on  the  sea,  and  when  eight  strange  sails  bore 
down  upon  them,  the  women  and  children  went  below, 
while  the  decks  were  made  ready  for  action.  It  was  a  false 
alarm,  however.  At  last  on  the  seventy-second  day  of  their 
voyage,  signs  of  land  began  to  appear  —  the  warm  fra- 
grance of  cedar  and  sweet  fern,  "  a  smell  of  the  shore  like 
the  smell  of  a  garden."  Four  days  later  they  arrived  and 
most  of  the  people  went  ashore  and  "  gathered  store  of 
fine  strawberries." 

When  they  reached  Salem,  however,  they  found  to  their 
dismay  a  state  of  things  not  at  all  like  that  which  the  en- 
thusiastic reports  of  the  colony  the  year  before  had  led 
them  to  expect.  They  learned  that  eighty  of  them  had 
died  during  the  winter,  that  those  who  were  alive  were 
weak  and  sick,  and  that  there  was  food  enough  to  last  them 
all  for  only  two  weeks.  Now  Governor  Winthrop  thought 
of  the  thousand  people  with  him  who  must  be  fed,  and  for 
whom  shelters  must  be  built  before  winter.  He  acted 
promptly,  sending  the  ship  Lyon  back  to  England  for  pro- 
visions. "  And  the  governor  presently  fell  to  worke  with 
his  owne  hands  and  thereby  soe  encouraged  the  rest  that 


MARCHING  FORWARD  41 

there  was  not  an  idle  person  to  be  found  in  the  whole 
plantation."     This  is  the  entry  he  records  in  his  journal. 

Facing  Disaster 

Governor  Winthrop  did  not  like  the  location  at  Salem. 
After  exploring  a  little  he  and  his  company  moved  down  to 
Massachusetts  Bay,  settling  in  different  small  groups  at 
Charlestown,  Watertown,  Roxbury,  Dorchester,  and  Mai- 
den. Then  began  the  clearing  of  the  land  and  the  building 
of  rude  houses  and  shelters.  Sickness  unfortunately  soon 
broke  out,  and  the  work  of  making  ready  for  winter  was 
sadly  interrupted.  By  December,  twenty  people  had  died. 
Winter  came  on.  The  piercing  east  winds,  the  frosts,  and 
the  heavy  snows  chilled  them.  Before  them  lay  the  dreary 
ocean,  in  back  of  them  and  on  either  hand  was  the  forest. 
Provisions  lessened.  At  low  tide  they  gathered  clams 
and  mussels;  with  these  and  acorns,  they  tried  to  make 
their  scanty  corn-meal  last.  No  doubt  they  wondered 
where  were  the  plentiful  fowl  and  game  and  fish  and  corn 
of  which  such  glowing  reports  had  been  made.  No  wonder 
that  some  went  home  to  England.  To  add  to  their  distress 
there  was  but  one  spring  at  Charlestown  and  this  could  not 
be  reached  except  at  low  tide.  At  last,  at  the  invitation  of 
an  Englishman  who  had  been  living  all  alone  on  the  penin- 
sula then  called  Shawmut  (now  Boston),  where  there  were 
plenty  of  springs,  Winthrop  and  the  colonists  moved  over. 

A  Strong  Man  of  God 

The  hard  winter  wore  on.  Governor  Winthrop  was  the 
stay  of  the  colony.  Many  are  the  stories  told  by  his 
fellow  sufferers  of  his  unselfishness  and  bravery,  of  his 
courage  and  endurance,  of  his  devotion  to  them  all  and  to 
their  common  cause  in  this  tragic  time.  Yet  not  a  word 


42      PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

of  all  this  appears  in  Governor  Winthrop's  letters  or  journal. 
He  writes  Margaret  courageously,  "  I  thank  God  I  like 
so  well  to  be  here  as  I  do  not  repent  my  coming,  and  if  I 
were  to  come  again  I  would  not  have  altered  my  course 
though  I  had  foreseen  all."  Others  fortunately  tell  us  of 
the  Governor's  deeds,  among  them  the  story  that  the 
Governor  gave  the  very  last  of  his  own  stores  to  a  needy 
man.  Fortunately  it  was  on  the  very  day  when  the  sail 
of  the  Lyon  returning  from  England  was  later  seen  coming 
up  the  harbor.  One  Thomas  Wiggin  writes  thus  of  him: 
"  As  for  the  Governor  himselfe,  I  have  observed  him  to  be 
a  discreete  and  sober  man,  givinge  good  example  to  all  the 
planters,  wearing  plaine  apparell  such  as  may  well  beseeme 
a  plane  man,  drinking  ordinarilie  water,  and  when  he  is  not 
conversant  with  matters  of  justice,  putting  his  hand  to  any 
ordinarye  labour  with  his  servants,  ruling  with  much 
mildness."  He  was  evidently  the  man  of  a  thousand  to  be 
leader  of  the  colony. 

The  Colony's  Church 

Two  events  of  this  first  winter,  besides  their  removal 
from  Charlestown  to  the  site  which  is  now  called  Boston, 
must  be  recorded.  Just  after  they  had  reached  Charles- 
town,  Governor  John  Winthrop,  Deputy-Governor  Dudley, 
the  Rev.  John  Wilson  and  Isaac  Johnson  by  entering  into 
a  covenant  with  each  other  organized  a  church,  and  a  few 
days  later  all  its  members  entered  into  the  covenant  and 
chose  Mr.  Wilson  teacher.  This  was  practically  what  the 
Salem  folk  had  done  the  year  before,  in  organizing  a  church 
as  the  Separatists  had  done.  The  other  plantations  or- 
ganized churches  in  the  same  way.  Thus  it  came  about 
that  all  the  early  churches  of  Massachusetts  were  like  the 
church  organized  at  Scrooby  and  now  at  Plymouth.  They 


MARCHING  FORWARD  43 

had  not  been,  as  the  Pilgrims  had  been,  Separatists  on 
principle,  but  they  became  like  them  by  the  very  fact  of 
their  emigrating  to  America  and  adjusting  themselves  to 
the  new  conditions.  From  this  time  on  the  churches 
were  neither  Separatist  nor  Puritan.  All  were  Congre- 
gational. By  1632  there  were  seven  in  the  colony  of 
Massachusetts  Bay. 

A  "  Bible  Commonwealth  " 

Just  as  prompt  were  these  settlers  to  establish  the  civil 
government.  John  Winthrop,  though  holding  the  office 
of  governor  under  the  charter  and  patent,  was  elected  their 
governor,  and  the  Court  of  Assistants  was  put  into  opera- 
tion. Some  of  their  early  law-making  was  important.  So 
many  of  the  colonists,  118,  applied  for  admission  to  the 
list  of  freemen  that  there  was  great  dismay  at  this  great 
number  of  voters.  So  they  decided  that  the  free  men  might 
elect  the  Assistants  and  the  Assistants  the  Governor  and 
Deputy-Governor,  and  that  this  body  was  to  govern. 
Next  year  (1631)  a  rule  was  made  that  the  Assistants  in 
office  should  keep  their  office  until  they  were  removed  for  a 
cause,  and  that  "  to  the  end  that  the  body  of  commons 
may  be  preserved  of  good  and  honest  men,  for  time  to 
come  no  man  shall  be  admitted  of  the  freedom  of  this  body 
politic  but  such  as  are  members  of  some  of  the  churches." 
The  people  agreed  to  this  because  their  leaders  and 
ministers  thought  it  was  right  and  necessary.  And  indeed 
those  who  planned  it  were  most  sincere  and  unselfish  in 
thinking  it  necessary  if  they  were  to  accomplish  their 
purpose  of  founding  a  "  Bible  Commonwealth." 

A  Day  of  Thanksgiving 

In  the  Governor's  journal  for  1631  we  find  these 
entries : 


44      PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

"  Nov.  2.  The  ship  Lyon,  William  Peirce,  Master, 
arrived  at  Natascot.  There  came  in  her  the  Governor's 
wife,  his  eldest  son,  and  his  wife,  and  others  of  his 
children,  and  Mr.  Eliot,  a  minister,  and  other  families, 
being  in  all  about  sixty  persons,  who  all  arrived  in  good 
health,  having  been  ten  weeks  at  sea,  and  lost  none  of 
their  company  but  two  children,  whereof  one  was  the 
Governor's  daughter  Ann,  about  one  year  and  a  half 
old,  who  died  about  a  week  after  they  came  to  sea. 

"  Nov.  4.  The  Governor,  his  wife  and  children  went 
on  shore  with  Mr.  Peirce  in  his  ship's  boat.  The  ship 
gave  them  six  or  seven  pieces.  At  their  landing,  the 
captains,  with  their  companions  in  arms,  entertained 
them  with  guard,  and  divers  vollies  of  shot  and  three 
drakes;  and  divers  of  the  assistants  and  most  of  the 
people,  of  the  near  plantations  came  to  welcome  them, 
and  brought  and  sent,  for  divers  days,  great  store  of 
provisions,  as  fat  hogs,  kid,  venison,  poultry,  geese, 
partridges,  so  as  the  like  joy  and  manifestation  of  love 
had  never  been  seen  in  New  England.  It  was  a  great 
marvel,  that  so  many  people  and  such  a  store  of  pro- 
visions could  be  gathered  together  at  so  few  hours' 
warning. 

"  Nov.  11.  We  kept  a  day  of  Thanksgiving  at 
Boston." 

Indeed  it  was  a  time  of  thanksgiving  and  rejoicing. 
From  Plymouth  came  Governor  Bradford  with  his  con- 
gratulations and  sympathy  in  person. 

Educational  Ventures 

Although  to  follow  the  details  of  the  lives  of  John 
and  Margaret  Winthrop  in  Boston  and  to  recount  the 
history  of  the  colony  in  the  later  years  would  be  in- 


MARCHING  FORWARD  45 

spiring,  only  one  or  two  points  may  be  especially  men- 
tioned. One  of  the  splendid  achievements  of  this  colony 
was  the  founding  of  Harvard  College.  Only  six  years 
after  the  first  colonists  had  arrived,  they  voted  the 
amount  of  four  hundred  pounds  for  the  founding  of  a 
college.  Though  the  idea  had  probably  originated  with 
the  ministers,  this  generosity  shows  that  all  must  have 
been  eager  to  give  the  young  men  the  opportunities  of 
education  which  so  many  of  them  had  enjoyed,  and 
which  so  many  more  wished  to  make  possible  for  their 
sons.  One  of  the  earliest  benefactors  of  the  college  was 
John  Harvard,  and  for  him,  in  1638,  the  college  was 
named.  It  was  situated  at  Newtowne,  which  later 
was  called  Cambridge  in  honor  of  the  University  where 
so  many  of  the  men  in  the  colony  had  studied.  That 
this  college  was  organized  so  soon  and  that  in  those 
years  of  hardship  they  should  set  aside  so  compara- 
tively large  a  sum  is  remarkable  enough,  but  it  becomes 
the  more  remarkable  when  we  realize  that  this  year  of 
1636  was  the  year  when  the  Massachusetts  Bay  Colony 
lost  over  a  fourth  of  its  population  by  emigration  to 
Connecticut.  Founding  a  college  at  a  time  like  this 
proves  how  greatly  they  valued  education. 

The  leaders  of  the  colony  also  planned  for  the  educa- 
tion of  all  the  children  in  the  colony.  They  realized 
that  the  success  of  their  undertaking  would  depend  on 
the  intelligence  of  the  people.  They  were  convinced 
that,  as  every  individual  was  of  great  value  to  God, 
every  individual  should  have  a  chance  to  become  his 
best.  It  was  an  all-important  matter  that  each  in- 
dividual, therefore,  should  read  God's  word.  So  very 
early  in  the  days  of  the  colony  they  decreed  that  in 
every  town  where  there  were  fifty  families  all  the  chil- 


46      PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

dren  should  be  taught  to  read  and  write.  After  the 
college  was  started,  they  decreed  that  in  every  town 
where  there  were  one  hundred  families  there  must  be  a 
grammar  school  which  should  prepare  for  the  university. 
In  these  schools  the  children  of  their  Indian  neighbors 
were  freely  taught,  for  the  Puritans  ever  felt  a  responsi- 
bility for  their  welfare.  The  results  of  such  a  system 
of  general  education  were  important.  Because  everyone 
was  well  informed  and  intelligent,  he  could  and  did  take 
an  interest  in  their  common  affairs.  In  the  town  meet- 
ings all  freely  discussed  these  mutual  interests.  In 
these  town  meetings  where  all  had  a  voice  can  be  found 
the  beginning  of  the  democratic  government  which  we 
prize  today. 

A  Dark  Chapter 

Another  matter  that  must  be  mentioned  is  the  treat- 
ment given  by  the  Puritan  settlers  to  Roger  Williams, 
Mrs.  Anne  Hutchinson,  the  Quakers,  and  the  so-called 
witches.  For  this  the  Puritans  are  called  bigoted,  in- 
tolerant, and  inconsistent,  as  indeed  they  were.  We 
deeply  regret  their  action,  yet  if  we  call  to  mind  their 
purpose  in  coming  to  America,  we  shall  see  how  it  came 
to  pass.  They  had  crossed  the  ocean  to  set  up  a  state 
in  which  God's  laws  as  revealed  to  them  in  the  Bible 
were  to  be  supreme.  They  did  not  allow  for  other  in- 
terpretations. They  felt  that  they  rightly  excluded  from 
their  colony  all  those  persons  who  might  disturb  the 
welfare  of  the  colony  as  a  whole.  On  this  basis  Roger 
Williams,  Mrs.  Hutchinson,  and  the  Quakers  were  dealt 
with.  As  for  witchcraft,  their  belief  was  not  peculiar 
to  New  England;  they  shared  in  the  common  errors  of 
the  time. 


MARCHING  FORWARD  47 

The  Leaders  of  the  Colony 

In  a  commonwealth  founded  for  such  a  purpose  as 
was  the  colony  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  it  is  quite  natural 
that  among  the  leaders  of  public  opinion  the  ministers 
of  the  Congregational  churches  should  have  hadfan  im- 
portant place.  They  were  most  highly  educated  and 
brilliant  men,  actively  concerned  in  the  welfare  of  the 
people  by  establishing  a  system  of  education  and  a 
democratic  form  of  government,  as  well  as  by  building 
up  a  church.  Their  sermons  show  how  boldly  they 
declared  the  rights  and  duties  of  free  men.  In  the 
struggle  against  England  which  came  to  a  climax  in 
the  War  of  Independence,  the  ministers  took  a  leading 
part.  Congregationalism  was  essentially  democratic.  As 
men  formed  themselves  into  churches  and  governed 
them,  so  they  had  formed  themselves  into  states  and 
governed  them.  As  the  ministers  led,  the  people  fol- 
lowed. In  1770,  out  of  339  churches  in  New  England 
294  were  Congregational,  and  at  the  close  of  the  war 
there  were  330  to  89  of  all  others.  It  seems  evident 
that  these  Congregational  churches  helped  to  foster  the 
intense  love  of  freedom.  The  influence  of  the  Congre- 
gational church  was  felt,  too,  in  the  formation  of  a 
federation  of  the  colonies  into  one  republic.  As  early 
as  1766  Jonathan  Mayhew  wrote  to  James  Otis  that  as 
he  had  been  thinking  of  the  communion  of  the  churches, 
he  began  to  think  of  the  great  value  there  would  be  in 
a  similar  "  communion  of  colonies." 

The  Puritan  Spirit 

While  the  great  contribution  made  by  the  Pilgrims 
who  loyally  followed  their  gleam  was  the  establishing 
of  a  democratic  church  organization,  the  great  achieve- 


48      PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

ment  of  the  Puritans,  originating  from  the  same  deeply 
earnest  purpose  to  obey  God's  laws  in  all  their  details, 
was  the  founding  of  a  state  whose  laws  should  be  just 
and  beneficial  to  all  the  people,  and  in  accord  with  those 
of  God.  Though  far  from  complete,  yet  this  story 
surely  makes  plain  the  splendid  loyalty  of  the  Puritans 
to  their  ideals,  their  shining  courage,  their  dauntless 
marching  forward,  in  spite  of  obstacles,  never  turning 
back,  their  faith  that  never  held  though  the  right  were 
worsted  wrong  would  triumph. 

TO  THE  PUPIL 

John  Winthrop,  by  Joseph  Hopkins  Twitchell,  and  Margaret  Win- 
throp,  by  Alice  Morse  Earle,  give  accounts  of  these  two  brave- 
hearted  Puritans  and  the  stirring  times  in  which  they  lived.  Read 
them  if  you  want  further  information  about  old  Boston,  too. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  Why  did  people  call  John  Winthrop  "  traitor  "? 

2.  How  were  Puritans  treated? 

3.  Tell  about  the  first  Puritan  settlement. 

4.  Where  was  the  first  Congregational  church  organized  in  Am- 
erica located? 

5.  What  plan  did  John  Winthrop  propose  for  carrying  out  their 
ideal? 

6.  In  what  ways  was  it  hard  for  him  to  carry  out  his  plan? 

7.  What  kind  of  people  came  with  Winthrop? 

8.  How  did  they  spend  their  first  winter  in  Massachusetts  Bay? 

9.  Do  you  think  John  Winthrop  made  a  good  leader?     Why? 

10.  How  did  Puritans  and  Separatists  finally  come  to  agree? 

11.  How  did  the   Puritans   govern   their   colony?    In  what   way 
was  their  form  of  government  different  from  that  of  the  Pilgrims? 

12.  Suppose  you  were  one  of  the  Governor's  sons,   Stephen   or 
Adam;  tell  about  the  first  Thanksgiving  in    Boston  and  why  you 
were  thankful. 

13.  Why  did  the  Puritans  believe  in  education  and  how  did  they 
•how  they  thought  it  was  so  important? 

14.  What  made  the  Puritans  so  intolerant? 

15.  What  was  the  spirit  of  the  Puritans? 


IV 

FROM  SEA  TO  SHINING  SEA 

"  Oh,  beautiful  for  pilgrim  feet 

Whose  stern,  impassioned  stress 
A  thoroughfare  for  freedom  beat 
Across  the  wilderness!  " 

"  America!    America! 

God  shed  his  grace  on  thee 
And  crown  thy  good  with  brotherhood 
From  sea  to  shining  sea." 

—  Katharine  Lee  Bates. 

The  Puritans'  Grant 

When  King  James  of  England  gave  the  "  Great 
Patent "  under  which  the  Pilgrims  came  to  America, 
thus  giving  the  land  "  in  length,  by  all  the  breadth 
aforesaid,  throughout  the  main  land  from  sea  to  sea," 
little  did  he  dream  that  this  strip  of  land  extended 
thousands  of  miles.  We  are  often  much  amused  at  the 
comparison  of  the  portion  of  land  settled  by  the  Pil- 
grims themselves  with  that  which  by  this  title  they 
claimed.  Yet  do  you  know  that,  although  it  is  amazing, 
it  is  nevertheless  true  that  the  Pilgrims  and  the  Puritans 
through  their  descendants  really  do  possess  the  land  from 
sea  to  sea?  Wherever  they  went,  you  see,  they  took 
their  love  of  liberty,  their  desire  for  education,  their  love 
of  good  government,  their  desire  to  serve  mankind. 
Their  ideals  became  those  of  this  great  land. 

It  would  be  quite  impossible  in  so  short  a  space  to 
tell  the  full  story  of  their  march  westward,  to  recount 


50      PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

all  the  brave  deeds  done,  the  hard  things  patiently 
endured,  the  splendid  things  accomplished;  but  America 
is  indeed  beautiful  because  these  pilgrims  beat  a  thor- 
oughfare for  freedom  across  the  wilderness.  In  this 
chapter  and  the  next,  the  stories  of  only  a  few  of  these 
brave  adventurers  can  be  told. 

Westward  ho! 

In  1633  the  people  of  Newtowne  (the  town  which 
later  was  named  Cambridge)  wanted  to  move  west. 
"  We  have  not  enough  land,"  they  explained,  "  nor 
sufficient  meadow  in  which  to  pasture  our  cattle.  Let 
us  go  west.  Let  us  go  to  Connecticut.  That  is  larger 
and  more  fruitful  than  it  is  here  on  the  bank  of  the 
Charles.  Besides  it  would  be  very  dangerous  to  have 
the  Dutch  or  the  English  church  party  settle  there. 
Let  us  move!  "  Their  neighbors  in  Boston  and  Charles- 
town  were  amazed.  "  Move  west! "  they  exclaimed. 
"  Don't  do  that.  We'll  give  you  more  land  if  that  is 
all  you  want."  Thus  they  were  persuaded  to  let  the 
matter  drop  for  a  while.  "  But,"  as  one  of  the  writers 
of  that  early  day  tells  us,  "  the  strong  bent  of  their 
spirits  to  remove  thither  did  not  disappear."  Other 
reasons  than  the  lack  of  land  "  did  more  secretly  and 
powerfully  drive  on  the  business."  The  real  reason  was 
this.  It  was  the  belief  of  Thomas  Hooker,  their  min- 
ister, that  all  the  people  should  have  a  voice  in  deciding 
matters  that  concerned  them,  that  is,  that  all  the  people 
should  have  the  right  of  voting  for  those  who  made  the 
laws.  This  was  not  the  case  in  the  colony  of  Massa- 
chusetts Bay  of  which  Newtowne  was  a  part.  Only 
members  of  the  church  could  be  voters.  But  neither 
Governor  Winthrop  nor  John  Cotton,  the  famous  min- 


FROM  SEA  TO  SHINING  SEA  51 

ister  of  Boston,  could  persuade  Hooker  that  such  govern- 
ment as  this  was  the  kind  required  by  God's  will  for 
men.  He  was  ready  to  dare  and  do  anything  to  carry 
out  God's  will,  and  his  church  believed  with  him  and 
were  willing  to  follow  him. 

Courageous  Pioneers 

So  again  in  the  winter  of  1635  and  1636  Hooker  and 
the  Newtowne  people  petitioned  to  be  allowed  to  move. 
This  time  permission  was  granted  and  all  began  to  make 
preparations  for  the  adventure.  One  bitter  cold  day 
the  dwellers  in  Newtowne  were  startled  by  the  appear- 
ance of  a  band  of  twelve  strangers  who  came  down  the 
Indian  trail  from  the  westward.  Almost  exhausted  they 
sank  in  the  snow  on  the  steps  of  the  meeting-house. 
When  they  picked  them  up,  they  were  amazed  to  find 
they  were  some  of  their  friends  who  had  gone  the  sum- 
mer before  from  Watertown  to  begin  life  in  the  far- 
away Connecticut.  Warmed  and  fed  and  somewhat 
restored  to  strength,  they  were  led  to  Hooker's  cabin, 
and  there,  before  the  glow  and  warmth  of  the  fire,  told 
their  tale  of  the  awful  hardships  the  colony  had  en- 
dured. "  Exceeding  difficult  it  was,"  they  said,  "  to 
cross  the  mountains,  to  pass  over  the  swamps,  to  ford 
the  rivers  with  our  horses,  cattle,  and  swine.  So  long 
were  we  in  this  miserable  task  of  getting  the  cattle 
across  that  winter  overtook  us.  Snow  lay  deep;  the 
rivers  were  frozen.  We  were  without  huts  or  houses 
and  had  little  time  to  prepare  them  or  to  build  sheds 
for  our  cattle.  Our  furniture  and  extra  provisions, 
which,  you  recall,  we  had  not  carried  with  us  through 
the  pathless  wilderness,  but  had  sent  round  by  sea,  never 
came.  We  waited  for  them  anxiously.  Before  Decem- 


52      PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

ber  was  over  all  our  provisions  failed.  It  was  famine 
and  death  we  faced  if  we  waited  there,  or,  again,  the 
difficulty  of  the  long,  long  trail  back  to  the  colony. 
Driven  by  hunger,  some  of  us  started  back,  and  helped 
by  kindly  Indians,  we  twelve,  of  all  those  who  set 
forth  with  us,  are  here.  May  God  keep  the  rest!  "  A 
deep  hush  fell  upon  those  who  listened,  and  their  hearts 
were  heavy  with  sorrow  for  their  friends.  Later  on 
during  the  winter  came  still  others  of  the  party,  who 
told  how  they  had  endured  the  hunger  as  long  as  pos- 
sible, yet  how  they  too  had  reached  a  day  when  they 
had  been  forced  to  set  out,  going  down  the  river  to 
meet  the  provision  ships.  Though  they  had  not  found 
these,  they  fortunately  had  come  upon  an  abandoned 
ship,  ice-bound  near  the  mouth  of  the  river.  On  her 
they  had  escaped.  Some  few  they  had  left  behind. 
These  might  even  now  be  dead  —  starved  or  killed  by 
the  Indians. 

This  would  seem  to  be  enough  to  dishearten  the  New- 
towne  people,  yet  they  went  right  on  with  their  prep- 
arations for  departure.  "  It  is  not  with  us,"  Bradford 
had  written  of  the  Pilgrims  and  their  enterprise,  "  as 
with  men  whom  small  things  can  discourage."  So 
Hooker  might  have  written  of  his  people  as  they  packed 
up  their  goods  and  sold  their  houses  to  newcomers  in 
the  colony  in  preparation  for  their  adventure.  In  early 
spring,  as  soon  as  traveling  would  permit,  those  who 
had  wandered  back  during  the  winter,  dauntlessly  set 
forth  again,  and  "  many  who  had  not  removed  the  last 
year  prepared,  with  all  convenient  dispatch,  for  a  journey 
to  the  new  settlements."  Danger  and  difficulty  only 
challenged  their  spirits  to  greater  effort  and  more  heroic 
endurance. 


FROM  SEA  TO  SHINING  SEA  58 

The  Hartford  Settlement 

It  was  the  last  of  May  before  Hooker  and  his  party, 
about  one  hundred  men,  women  and  children,  set  out 
through  the  wilderness  along  the  old  Indian  trail  to  the 
west.  Probably  this  is  the  very  route  now  traveled  in 
three  hours  by  the  railroad  from  Boston  to  Springfield 
and  down  the  Connecticut  River  to  Hartford,  but  it 
took  Hooker's  party  two  weeks.  During  the  day,  guided 
by  a  compass  they  made  their  way  through  the  woods 
over  the  mountains,  through  swamps  and  thickets,  and 
across  rivers.  By  night  they  camped  in  the  woods. 
Very  careful  guard  had  to  be  set,  for  at  any  time 
hostile  Indians  might  break  through  the  thickets  upon 
them  with  their  fearful  war-whoops  and  murderous 
tomahawks.  Always,  also,  was  there  danger  of  wild 
beasts.  They  had  with  them  160  head  of  cattle,  and 
glad  as  they  must  have  been  of  having  the  milk  to  use, 
they  must  have  found  them  no  end  of  trouble.  Every- 
one had  to  take  a  turn  at  driving  them  as  well  as  at 
carrying  the  packs  and  utensils.  It  was  especially  hard 
for  these  people,  for  they  were  men  and  women  used  to 
all  the  ease  and  refinement  of  that  period,  unaccustomed 
to  such  fatigue  as  they  now  endured  and  unused  to 
danger.  Mrs.  Hooker  herself  was  so  ill  that  she  had  to 
be  carried  on  a  litter.  Yet  at  length  they  reached  Hart- 
ford, where  they  settled,  the  other  comers  going  to  the 
settlements  that  are  now  Windsor  and  Wethersfield. 
Glad  they  must  have  been  to  have  arrived. 

Their  hard  work  was  not  over,  however;  in  fact  the 
hardest  part  of  it  was  just  beginning.  First  of  all,  of 
course,  the  woods  had  to  be  cleared  and  timber  made 
ready  out  of  which  to  build  their  log  cabins  and  the 
shelters  for  the  cattle.  Then  the  soil  had  to  be  culti- 


54       PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

vated  and  crops  planted,  while  roads  connecting  the 
three  settlements  had  to  be  built.  Besides  this,  the  men 
had  to  organize  themselves  into  militia  and  drill.  They 
were  in  constant  fear  of  the  Indians,  keeping  watch  day 
and  night  and  carrying  their  arms  to  work  and  to  church. 
They  could  not  hunt  or  fish  or  work  in  the  fields  or 
travel  except  at  the  peril  of  their  lives.  "  They  lay 
down  and  rose  up  in  fear  and  in  danger."  Although 
during  that  first  year  they  suffered  from  exposure  to 
cold  in  their  poorly  built  houses  and  from  lack  of  food 
as  well  as  from  attacks  by  the  Indians  against  whom  they 
had  finally  to  make  war,  nothing  could  discourage  them. 

A  Famous  Sermon 

Although  at  first  the  Connecticut  colony  remained 
under  the  government  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  the  settlers 
did  not  forget  why  they  had  come  or  why  they  endured 
the  hardships  of  these  early  years.  By  January,  1639, 
about  two  years  after  their  arrival,  all  the  settlers 
gathered  at  Hartford  to  draw  up  a  constitution  under 
the  provisions  of  which  they  could  draw  up  a  govern- 
ment of  their  own.  What  an  anxious  heart  must  have 
been  Thomas  Hooker's  as  he  stood  before  the  Con- 
vention to  preach  the  sermon.  Would  they  base  the 
laws  of  this  new  colony  upon  those  principles  for  which 
he  and  they  had  dared  and  endured  so  much?  In  the 
fearless,  straightforward  manner  in  which  he  preached, 
he  set  forth  what  he  considered  those  principles  to  be. 
Fortunately  the  record  of  Thomas  Hooker's  sermon  that 
day  has  been  preserved  for  us.  One  young  man  there 
present,  Henry  Wolcott,  Jr.,  set  down  in  his  diary  the 
outline  of  the  address  and  some  of  Hooker's  great  state- 
ments. Here  are  some  of  them: 


FROM  SEA  TO  SHINING  SEA  55 

"  The  foundation  of  authority  is  laid  in  the  free  con- 
sent of  the  people."  "  The  choice  of  the  magistrates 
belongs  to  the  people  by  God's  own  allowance."  "  They 
who  have  the  power  to  appoint  officers  and  magistrates 
have  the  right  to  set  the  bounds  and  limitations  of  the 
power  and  place  of  those  who  are  called."  "  The 
privilege  of  election  which  belongs  to  the  people,  there- 
fore, must  not  be  exercised  according  to  their  humors, 
but  according  to  the  blessed  will  and  law  of  God." 

The  Father  of  American  Democracy 

Happy  indeed  Thomas  Hooker  must  have  been  when 
these  principles  of  government  became  those  on  which 
the  Constitution  of  the  Connecticut  Colony  was  founded. 
He  had  not  labored  in  vain.  But  his  sermon  that  day 
had  even  greater  influence  than  this.  Hooker  had  done 
just  what  he  considered  right.  Little  did  he  think  that 
later  ages  would  call  him  "The  Father  of  American 
Democracy."  Yet  that  is  the  title  he  deserves.  "  The 
government  of  the  United  States  today  is  in  lineal 
descent  more  nearly  related  to  that  of  Connecticut  than 
to  any  other  of  the  thirteen  colonies."  So  says  the 
historian  John  Fiske,  and  this  Constitution  of  Con- 
necticut in  1639  "  marked  the  beginning  of  American 
Democracy,  of  which  Thomas  Hooker  deserves  more 
than  any  other  man  to  be  called  the  father."  So  you 
see  the  courageous  Puritan  minister  one  hundred  and 
fifty  years  before  the  American  Revolution  stated  the 
principles  of  government  which  underlie  the  Constitu- 
tion of  the  United  States.  His  courageous  endurance 
of  danger  and  hardship  in  journeying  west  in  order 
that  he  might  express  the  beliefs  about  government  he 
so  strongly  held,  made  possible,  you  see,  that  form  of 


56      PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

government    which    is    the    strength    and    the    glory    of 
America  today  —  democracy. 


A  Fighting  Parson 

June  14,  1775,  Manasseh  Cutler  sat  down  in  his  study 
to  enter  the  events  of  the  day  in  his  diary.  "  This  day 
on  Bunker  Hill  was  fought  an  engagement  between  our 
forces  and  the  British.  The  Redcoats  were  driven  back 
with  great  losses.  The  sound  of  cannon  could  be  dis- 
tinctly heard."  Then  his  pen  stopped,  and  he  gazed 
out  of  the  window,  his  thoughts  intent  upon  the  great 
events  of  the  day.  Recalling  himself  with  a  great  effort, 
he  returned  to  his  diary.  "  Not  disposed  for  study," 
he  wrote.  Then  he  closed  the  book  and  left  the  room. 
Who  could  wonder  that  he  felt  so?  Those  were  stirring 
times  when  great  issues  were  at  stake.  Before  he 
reached  the  door,  he  heard  steps  outside  and  neighbors' 
voices.  Several  members  of  his  parish  were  .there,  eager 
to  discuss  with  the  minister  the  events  of  the  day.  For 
four  years,  ever  since  young  Mr.  Cutler  had  come  to 
Ipswich,  they  had  talked  over  with  him  the  great  ques- 
tions of  those  times.  Much  as  they  hated  to  fight 
against  the  mother  country  which  all  looked  upon 
lovingly,  still  they  knew  that  their  rights  as  men  to 
govern  themselves  were  at  stake.  What  had  been  the 
belief  of  a  few  brave  men  in  Thomas  Hooker's  time  was 
now  the  belief  of  all.  England  had  taxed  them  without 
their  consent.  She  had  tried  to  force  laws  upon  them 
which  they  had  had  no  share  in  making.  It  was  not 
right.  They  could  not  submit  to  such  injustice.  There 
was  no  course  open  to  them  now  but  warfare.  Ever 
since  that  April  day  when  the  militia  had  driven  back 


FROM  SEA  TO  SHINING  SEA  57 

Lord  Percy's  men  from  Concord  and  Lexington,  they  had 
known  that  they  must  fight  on  until  they  won  their  point. 

"  Well,  friends,"  began  the  minister. 

"  Is  it  true,  sir,  as  report  goes,  that  our  militia  had 
but  little  ammunition  at  this  engagement?  " 

"  Only  too  true,  I  am  sorry  to  say,"  was  Mr.  Cutler's 
reply. 

"  Then,  sir,  more  must  be  supplied.  What  shall  we 
do  to  aid?  We  have  come  to  talk  this  over  with  you." 

That  had  been  the  very  question  which  had  bothered 
Mr.  Cutler.  Soon  they  were  in  deep  discussion  and 
many  a  day's  entry  in  the  minister's  diary  after  that 
records  that  much  of  his  time  and  money  was  spent  in 
the  manufacture  of  bullets. 

Often  too  he  harnessed  up  his  mare  to  the  gig  and 
drove  into  Boston  to  talk  with  the  soldiers  and  en- 
courage them.  Sometimes  he  preached  to  them.  It  is 
not  surprising  therefore  to  find  him  serving  in  two 
campaigns  as  army  chaplain.  In  whatever  way  he 
could  he  did  everything  possible  to  help  make  victorious 
the  struggle  for  democratic  government.  He  believed 
heart  and  soul  that  it  was  the  kind  of  government  re- 
quired by  God's  will  for  men.  When  his  parish  grew 
so  poor  during  those  war  times  that  it  had  hard  work 
to  pay  his  salary,  he  took  up  the  study  of  medicine, 
supporting  himself  by  his  physician's  practise  while 
continuing  his  duties  as  minister.  His  greatest  service 
however  to  the  cause  of  democracy  was  rendered  a  little 
later. 

The  Petition  of  the  Soldiers 

You  remember  that  Congress  was  poor,  too,  and  had 
no  money  to  pay  the  soldiers?  How  these  men  who 


58      PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

had  given  their  all  in  the  fight  should  be  cared  for  or 
rewarded  perplexed  many  a  man  besides  Dr.  Cutler. 
Many  of  the  officers  hoped  to  get  grants  of  land  in  what 
they  called  the  Northwest  Territory.  This  was  the  land, 
you  know,  which  had  been  given  the  Federal  authorities 
by  the  various  colonies  of  New  England  and  New  York, 
for  it  had  been  discovered  that  all,  by  their  original 
charters,  laid  claim  to  the  same  strip  of  country. 
Congress,  on  the  other  hand,  did  not  grant  the  soldiers 
their  request,  for  it  hoped  to  sell  this  land  and  thus  gain 
the  money  they  so  much  needed  to  fill  the  Treasury. 
This  was  a  discouragement,  of  course,  yet  when  the 
army  mustered  out,  officers  and  men  alike  kept  on 
dreaming, of  building  a  new  state  out  in  the  great  un- 
known Northwest.  Yet  being  men  of  action,  they  did 
more  than  dream.  As  soon  as  they  were  able,  they  sent 
out  one  of  their  number  to  explore  the  land  and  report 
on  it.  He  returned  with  such  enthusiastic  accounts, 
that  at  once  they  organized  into  the  "  Ohio  Company 
of  Associates  "  and  turned  to  various  prominent  men, 
among  whom  was  Dr.  Cutler,  to  assist  them. 

Enlisting  Aid 

Dr.  Cutler,  naturally,  took  a  great  interest  in  any 
plans  that  were  to  benefit  those  men  who  had  fought 
to  secure  the  liberties  of  them  all.  He  gave  them  the 
best  of  his  time  and  energy  and  influence.  His  efforts 
in  raising  money  toward  the  fund  they  needed  to  start 
their  enterprise  were  untiring,  and  he  was  glad  he  could 
contribute  so  much.  In  recognition  of  his  ability  and 
power  for  leadership,  his  friendship  for  them,  and 
sympathy  with  their  principles,  the  Ohio  Company  made 
him  their  agent  in  going  before  Congress  with  their  plan. 


FROM  SEA  TO  SHINING  SEA  59 

Delighted  to  be  of  service,  Dr.  Cutler  drove  in  his  gig 
down  to  New  York,  where  Congress  then  was  assembled. 
The  problem  of  paying  the  Revolutionary  soldiers, 
and  the  problem  of  a  form  of  government  for  this 
Northwest  Territory  vexed  the  delegates  to  Congress 
exceedingly.  It  is  not  hard  to  imagine  the  discouraged 
delegates  sitting  up  in  amazement  as  they  listened  to 
Dr.  Cutler's  proposals.  "  Gentlemen,"  we  can  imagine 
him  saying  very  quietly,  "  I  am  agent  for  the  Ohio 
Company  of  Associates,  composed,  as  you  may  know,  of 
officers  and  men  of  the  Continental  Army.  Our  pro- 
posal is  this:  We  stand  ready  to  buy  six  or  seven  million 
acres  of  land  in  the  Northwest  Territory  and  go  there 
ourselves  to  build  up  a  new  state.  But  we  cannot  go, 
sirs,  ignorant  of  the  laws  which  are  to  govern  that  new 
land.  We  have  fought  and  helped  to  secure  freedom. 
We  are  willing  to  begin  over  again  in  that  unknown 
country,  but  we  wish  to  be  sure  that  our  efforts  will  not 
be  in  vain,  and  that  the  new  state  there  formed  will  be 
governed  by  those  principles  for  which  we  risked  our  all." 

The  Struggle  with  Congress 

Quite  naturally,  when  confronted  by  this  unusual  offer, 
Congress  undertook  with  new  energy  the  forming  of  an 
ordinance.  Many  plans  had  been  made  previously  and 
dropped.  Now,  the  new  laws  were  shown  to  Dr.  Cutler. 
Though  they  were  good,  he  said  they  did  not  include 
enough,  and  he  suggested  several  amendments.  These 
were  provisions  for  the  support  of  education  and  religion 
and  those  which  forbade  holding  slaves.  Dr.  Cutler 
insisted  on  these  amendments.  One  thirty-sixth  of  the 
land  was  to  be  used  for  supporting  the  church  and  the 
ministers;  two  townships  were  set  aside  as  a  foundation 


60      PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

for  a  college  and  other  means  were  to  be  provided  in 
addition  for  other  schools.  "  We  cannot,"  Dr.  Cutler 
asserted,  "  undertake  this  scheme  until  these  matters 
are  made  sure,  for  we  cannot  build  a  state  without 
God-fearing  and  educated  men,  and  how  shall  our  chil- 
dren become  such  without  the  church  and  the  school?" 
Equally  positive  was  he  that  no  slaves  should  be  owned 
in  that  new  land.  These  men  who  had  fought  for  free- 
dom were  not  willing  to  own  other  people. 

The  First  Blow  Against  Slavery 

Just  at  this  point  the  plan  met  opposition.  The  dele- 
gates to  the  Congress  from  the  Southern  colonies,  where 
at  that  time  slaves  were  held,  refused  to  consider  this 
prohibition  of  slavery.  Many  times  it  looked  as  if  this 
scheme  of  the  "  Ohio  Company  "  would  have  to  be  given 
up.  Dr.  Cutler  insisted,  in  spite  of  opposition,  that  this 
amendment  must  be  adopted,  or  they  could  not  consider 
going.  Although  greatly  discouraged  about  the  final 
outcome,  he  kept  right  at  his  work  of  visiting  the  del- 
egates and  pointing  out  to  them  the  advantages  of  the 
scheme.  To  the  Virginia  delegates  particularly,  he  was 
careful  to  emphasize  the  advantage  it  would  be  to  their 
state  to  have  its  frontiers  well  protected  by  a  thriving 
colony  northward.  Naturally  he  had  little  difficulty  in 
interesting  General  Washington,  who  was  eager  to  further  a 
plan  that  would  benefit  his  brave  soldiers.  Yet  though 
the  diary  which  Dr.  Cutler  kept  during  this  time  records 
all  his  perseverance  and  his  skill  in  winning  friends  for 
his  project,  between  the  lines  can  be  easily  read  his  great 
discouragement.  He  could  not  seem  to  push  this  under- 
taking through  to  success.  Of  course  he  could  if  he 
would  give  in  about  the  slavery  question,  but  he  would 


FROM  SEA  TO  SHINING  SEA  61 

not  compromise  his  principles  and  those  of  the  men  who 
were  trusting  him  as  leader.  He  would  pack  his  bag 
and  start  back  to  Boston.  Perhaps  the  Ohio  Company 
could  purchase  frontier  land  in  one  of  the  New  England 
colonies  and  there  carry  out  their  project.  He  went  to 
bed  that  night,  disconsolate  at  his  failure.  Next  morn- 
ing, just  as  he  was  about  to  start  on  his  journey,  one 
of  his  friends  cdme  hurrying  toward  him,  smiling  and 
eager. 

"  Congress  has  passed  the  ordinance,  sir,"  he  ex- 
claimed, "  with  all  the  amendments  you  have  urged." 

An  Important  Victory 

Dr.  Cutler  was  delighted.  He  knew  how  much  it 
would  mean  to  these  ex-soldiers.  His  friend  explained 
that  the  Virginia  delegates  and  other  interested  and 
patriotic  men  had  succeeded  at  last  in  convincing  the 
other  members  of  Congress.  The  Ordinance  of  1787, 
as  the  set  of  laws  governing  the  Northwest  Territory 
was  called,  was  an  accomplished  fact. 

Back  to  Boston  he  journeyed,  rejoicing  at  the  good 
news  he  was  carrying  to  his  soldier  friends. 

The  adventures  of  this  Ohio  Company,  as  they 
traveled  from  New  England  by  coach  and  down  the 
Ohio  River  in  a  craft  they  called  The  Mayflower  in 
honor  of  the  earliest  adventurers  for  freedom,  are  full 
of  interest.  So,  too,  are  their  experiences  in  building 
up  their  settlement,  Marietta.  They  were  the  first  of 
the  new  pioneers  who  were  to  carry  the  ideals  of  the 
older  pioneers,  the  Pilgrims  and  the  Puritans,  beyond 
New  England,  on  through  the  land  to  the  far  western 
sea.  Hosts  of  people  followed  them  into  this  new  terri- 
tory, sure  that  when  governed  by  such  laws  as  the 


62      PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

Ordinance  of  1787  provided,  they  could  share  in  the 
building  of  noble  states.  In  due  time  these  became  those 
we  call  Ohio,  Illinois,  Indiana,  Wisconsin  and  Michigan. 
But  our  story  is  not  with  these  pioneers,  thrilling  as  their 
experiences  are,  for  Dr.  Cutler  never  shared  their  ad- 
ventures, and  our  story  is  concerned  with  him.  Though 
he  visited  the  colony  he  had  done  so  much  to  prosper, 
and  always  served  it  well,  he  remained  a  citizen  of 
Massachusetts.  His  work  did  not  include  the  adventure 
of  the  pioneer  as  did  Thomas  Hooker's,  yet  to  Dr. 
Manasseh  Cutler  the  United  States  owes  an  equal  debt 
of  honor.  The  Ordinance  of  1787,  with  its  notable 
amendment  prohibiting  slavery,  was  passed  largely 
through  his  efforts.  It  proved  of  vast  importance. 
Daniel  Webster  said  of  this  Ordinance  of  1787  that  he 
did  not  know  whether  one  single  law  of  any  law-giver, 
ancient  or  modern,  had  produced  effects  that  were  more 
distinct  and  lasting.  The  states  formed  out  of  the 
territory  governed  by  this  Ordinance  worked  valiantly 
to  build  up  and  preserve  the  Union  and  set  free  the 
enslaved  race. 

Suppose  Dr.  Cutler  had  flinched  and  compromised 
his  principles,  thinking  that  his  struggle  to  uphold  them 
would  not  matter  much!  What  then?  Those  states 
might  have  become  slave  states,  and  real  democracy 
would  have  had  still  greater  struggles  to  encounter.  It 
was  a  national  crisis.  He  did  not  know  that  it  was  so. 
He  knew  only  that  he  must  be  loyal  to  his  conviction 
at  all  cost  and  do  what  was  his  duty.  Quietly  and 
steadily  he  did  it.  His  work  was  not  picturesque  nor 
of  compelling  interest.  In  fact  it  was  quite  humdrum, 
yet  through  his  loyalty  to  his  duty  another  stride  for- 
ward for  democracy  was  made.  The  first  blow  was 


FROM  SEA  TO  SHINING  SEA  63 

struck    against    the    slavery    of    one   human   being    by 
another. 

Honor  truly  is  due  to  these  two  Congregational  heroes 
whose  loyalty  to  their  convictions  was  responsible  for 
these  two  great  contributions  to  the  growth  of  democ- 
racy. A  cheap  and  easy  way  to  honor  them  would  be 
erecting  statues  to  commemorate  their  deeds.  A  far 
better  way  would  be  an  imitation  of  their  loyalty  to 
high  ideals  and  of  their  courage  in  carrying  them  out, 
and  an  equal  willingness  to  serve  at  all  hazards  the 
cause  of  human  brotherhood. 

TO  THE  PUPIL 

You  would  like  to  read  parts  of  Dr.  Cutler's  diary  and  letters, 
especially  about  his  trip  to  Philadelphia  and  New  York.  See  The 
Isife,  Journals  and  Correspondence  of  Dr.  Manasseh  Cutler,  edited  by 
his  grandchildren.  An  interesting  book  about  Thomas  Hooker  is 
written  by  George  Leon  Walker  and  is  called  Thomas  Hooker. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  In  what  sense  did  the  Puritans  and  Pilgrims  "  possess  the  land 
from  sea  to  sea  "  which  their  charters  gave  them? 

2.  What  reasons  persuaded  the  Newtowne  people  to  go  West? 

3.  What  discouragements  and  difficulties  did  they  face? 

4.  What  was  Thomas  Hooker's  great  sermon  about? 

5.  How  did  the  Connecticut  Colony  carry  out  Hooker's  beliefs? 

6.  Why  was  this  very  important  for  the  United  States? 

7.  What  great  contest  for  democracy  began  in  1775? 

8.  How  did  Dr.  Manasseh  Cutler  "  do  his  bit "? 

9.  What  plans  did  the  Revolutionary  soldiers  have  after  the  war? 

10.  What  were  the   three  provisions  of  the   Ordinance  of   1787 
which  Dr.  Cutler  proposed  to  Congress? 

11.  What  struggle  did   Dr.   Cutler  have  for  the  law  forbidding 
slavery? 

12.  Why   was  it   so  important  for  the   United  States  that   Dr. 
Cutler  did  not  give  up  his  belief? 


FROM  SEA  TO  SHINING  SEA   (Continued) 

An  Immortal  Eleven 

Let  me  tell  you  about  a  college  eleven  which  has  done 
more  for  our  country  than  any  football  eleven  in  any 
of  our  colleges  today.  The  game  they  played  was  a 
great  game,  too,  requiring  even  more  grit  and  all-around 
manliness  and  team-work  than  any  daring  play  on  the 
gridiron.  One  of  their  number  in  looking  back  after 
twenty-five  years  of  service  tells  the  story  of  the  "  Iowa 
Band,"  the  Immortal  Eleven  of  the  Congregational 
Church. 

Organizing  the  Team 

This  is  how  the  "  team  "  was  organized.  At  Andover 
Seminary  a  student  sat  at  chapel  thinking  what  he 
should  do  after  graduation.  He  had  been  sick.  Even 
his  seminary  study  seemed  too  much  for  him.  How 
could  he  ever  manage  the  real  work  of  a  minister? 
Should  he  have  to  give  up  his  cherished  plan?  The 
thought  came  that  perhaps  a  different  climate  would 
help  him  fight  against  ill-health.  He  thought  of  the 
west.  That  would  be  missionary  work.  Should  he  go 
there?  He  came  out  of  the  meeting  with  the  prayer  in 
his  heart,  "  Lord,  prepare  me  for  whatever  field  thou 
hast  before  me.  Prepare  me  for  it,  and  make  me  will- 
ing to  enter  it." 

Saturday  afternoons  the  students  took  long  tramps 
over  the  hills,  talking  of  where  their  future  work  should 


FROM  SEA  TO  SHINING  SEA  65 

lie.  Should  they  stay  in  New  England?  Should  they 
go  to  the  foreign  field?  Should  they  go  to  the  far  west 
as  home  missionaries?  One  day  one  friend  said  to  this 
young  student,  "  If  we  and  some  others  of  our  class  could 
only  go  out  together,  what  a  grand  thing  that  would  be." 
The  others  heartily  Agreed.  Eagerly  they  talked  and 
planned,  as  they  hurried  back  to  the  Seminary  for  supper. 

Shortly  after  that  these  students  began  to  think  of 
going  to  the  far  west.  One  night  they  listened  to  a 
discussion  of  the  needs  there.  Said  one  student  to  him- 
self, "  Shall  I  go  out  of  New  England  to  a  place  where  I 
am  more  needed?  If  I  go  out  of  New  England  to  a 
place  where  I  am  more  needed,  then  why  not  go  to  the 
place  where  I  am  most  needed?  "  All  night  he  struggled 
to  answer  the  problem,  for  in  those  days  going  west 
meant  a  great  deal.  One  left  behind  comfortable  living, 
friends  and  fellowship  with  them,  and  the  opportunities 
of  books  and  libraries.  One  faced  a  land  of  which  very 
little  was  known,  a  great  loneliness,  and  the  hard  life 
of  the  frontier.  But  the  people  needing  God  were  there, 
and  God  was  there.  Some  one  was  needed  to  bring 
them  together.  In  the  morning  his  decision  was,  "  I 
will  go  to  the  west." 

Next  day  he  told  the  others;  they  had  come  to 
similar  decisions.  Now  they  began  to  speak  of  their 
plan  to  other  friends,  and  as  one  or  another  of  these 
joined  the  group  and  they  were  united  in  a  common 
purpose,  it  was  very  natural  that  they  should  meet 
together  for  prayer.  In  the  dark  —  because  the  rules 
forbade  lights — in  one  corner  of  the  Seminary  library, 
they  met  on  Tuesday  evening,  week  by  week,  and 
earnestly  asked  God  to  guide  them  where  to  go.  After 
the  prayer,  discussion  of  the  needs  of  the  different  states 


66       PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

followed.  Should  they  go  to  Ohio?  Michigan?  Illinois? 
Missouri?  By  and  by  all  had  come  to  the  conclusion 
to  go  to  Iowa,  one  of  the  newest  of  territories,  lying 
just  across  the  Mississippi  —  the  frontier  in  those  days 
—  of  which  less  was  known  at  that  time  than  we  know 
today  of  China.  After  this  decision  they  began  cor- 
responding with  the  American  Home  Missionary  Society 
and  the  Reverend  Asa  Turner,  who  was  its  agent  in  the 
Iowa  territory,  asking  all  sorts  of  questions  about 
climate  and  health  and  conditions.  For  so  long  had  he 
hoped  for  help  in  this  great  field  and  so  often  had  he 
been  disappointed  that  he  could  hardly  believe  it  when 
he  heard  that  twelve  young  ministers  were  planning  to 
come  out  all  at  the  same  time.  He  wrote  them  that 
he  couldn't  believe  this  good  news.  Finally  he  was 
persuaded  that  they  were  in  earnest,  and  invited  them 
to  come  directly  to  his  home  in  Denmark,  Iowa.  Then 
they  could  be  assigned  to  special  places.  Before  long 
came  their  commissioning  by  the  American  Home  Mis- 
sionary Society  and  a  farewell  meeting  in  the  Andover 
Church.  At  graduation  they  agreed  to  meet  at  Albany 
on  Tuesday,  the  third  of  October.  When  that  time 
came,  however,  only  eleven  of  them  were  able  to  set 
forth. 

Beginning  to  Play  the  Game 

From  Albany  they  journeyed  to  Buffalo  by  train, 
which  in  those  days,  1843,  was  as  far  as  the  railroad 
extended.  The  journey  to  Chicago,  at  that  time  a  tiny 
prairie  town,  was  made  by  boat  down  the  lakes.  The 
last  part  of  the  journey  they  made  in  canvas-covered 
wagons  over  the  prairie  and  they  crossed  the  Mississippi 
to  Denmark  in  a  canoe. 


FROM  SEA  TO  SHINING  SEA  67 

On  the  morning  of  their  ordination  all  the  town  was 
early  astir  to  behold  the  young  ministers  fresh  from  the 
east.  Seven  of  them  were  ordained  that  day.  The  joy 
of  this  to  "  Father "  Turner,  who  had  been  a  pioneer 
missionary  in  the  state,  was  too  great  for  words.  But 
before  this  ordination  day,  the  last  meeting  of  the  Band 
had  been  held.  "  Father "  Turner  and  Mr.  Gaylord 
had  told  them  of  the  places  which  they  thought  were 
most  needing  them,  and  then  had  left  them  to  decide 
among  themselves  where  each  would  settle.  Monday 
morning  all  was  a-bustle  with  preparation  for  going  to 
their  chosen  work.  Brave  good-byes  were  said  as  they 
shook  hands  with  their  comrades.  "  Remember  Tuesday 
night,"  was  the  reminder  that  each  one  would  keep  that 
old  familiar  time  in  prayer  for  all  the  Band. 

The  Team  at  Work 

Glimpses  into  their  life  are  given  in  the  story  of  the 
Band  told  by  one  of  their  members.  He  had  planned 
to  have  a  study  and  a  library  and  write  two  sermons  a 
week.  He  lived  the  first  year  in  the  house  of  a  kindly 
Christian,  who  partitioned  off  with  a  quilt  one  corner 
of  his  only  room.  This  was  the  minister's  bedroom  and 
study;  his  study-chair  was  a  saddle.  Here  is  the  record 
in  a  diary  for  July  23: 

"  This  day's  ride  on  my  faithful  pony,  for  I've  for- 
gotten to  say  that  I  now  own  one  —  price  forty-five 
dollars  —  has  brought  me  to  T.  Here  found  Brother  A. 
He  has  a  study,  a  little  ground  room  right  on  the  street 
in  the  '  lean-to  '  of  a  store,  over  which  live  the  family. 
Horses  stand  around,  these  hot  days,  kicking  the  flies, 
and,  when  he  is  out,  the  pigs  run  in  unless  he  is  careful 
to  shut  the  door.  Poor  place,  I  should  think,  for  writing 


sermons.  Partition  so  thin  that  all  the  store-talk,  es- 
pecially when  the  doors  are  open,  is  plainly  heard. 

"  It  being  Tuesday  evening,  we  of  course  wished  to 
remember  the  Tuesday  evening  prayer-meeting  but 
wanted  a  more  private  place  for  it:  so  went  in  search 
of  one.  Came  to  a  two-story  log-dwelling  used  for  a  jail, 
which  happened  to  be  empty  with  the  doors  open. 
Went  up  by  an  outside  stairway  to  the  upper  room  and 
there,  with  the  moon  sailing  over  the  prairies,  had  our 
meeting;  prayed  for  each  other,  for  the  brethren,  for 
Iowa,  for  home.  Not  exactly  like  the  old  Andover 
meetings  in  the  library,  but  something  like  them.  Coming 
down  again  to  the  ground,  Brother  A.  looked  up  in  his 
queer  way:  'There/  said  he,  'I  guess  that's  the  first 
time  that  old  building  ever  had  a  prayer  in  it.'  Just 
as  cheerful  and  funny  as  ever;  but  he's  doing  a  good 
work  here  and  getting  hold  of  the  hearts  of  everybody. 
Indeed,  he  is  becoming  quite  a  bishop  of  the  county. 
'  The  first  time  there  was  ever  a  prayer  in  it! '  I  wonder 
in  how  many  places  and  ways  we  shall  do  the  first 
things  for  Christ  in  this  new  country." 

And  here  is  an  account  of  a  church  organized  in  a 
nine-pin  alley.  That  this  had  been  offered  for  the  series 
of  religious  meetings  to  be  held  in  the  town  was  a  sur- 
prise, for  its  owner  was  the  keeper  of  the  saloon  next 
door;  but  that  it  was  offered  rent  free  when  the  daily 
income  from  it  was  about  ten  dollars  was  even  more 
surprising.  Rough  seats  of  boards  were  arranged  across 
the  alley  for  nearly  the  whole  length;  the  speaker's 
desk  was  a  billiard  table.  During  the  services  could  be 
heard  the  noise  of  conversation  and  clatter  of  glasses 
from  the  saloon  next  door;  yet  so  earnest  were  the 
meetings  that  at  their  close  a  church  was  formed  and 


FROM  SEA  TO  SHINING  SEA  69 

he  record  states  that  it  was  "  organized  on  ...  day 
fcf  .  .  .  in  Mr.  —  's  nine-pin  alley." 

Other  glimpses  of  the  work  given  in  this  diary  show 
how  the  mothers  and  daughters  bore  their  share  in 
building  Iowa.  A  young  man  in  the  first  year  of  his 
ministry  went  to  the  house  of  a  fellow  minister  with 
whom  he  wished  to  become  acquainted.  "  It  was  made 
of  logs,"  he  said,  "  with  a  single  room  below,  and  the 
usual  loft.  As  I  remember,  it  was  about  sixteen  feet 
square  with  a  passage  through  it  by  a  door  on  each  side. 
At  one  side  of  the  room  was  a  stove,  on  the  other  a  bed, 
with  the  usual  display  of  kettles,  dishes,  hats,  clothing, 
etc.,  found  in  such  houses.  The  brother  was  not  at 
home.  His  wife,  I  was  told,  was  above  and  sick.  I 
was  invited  to  go  up  and  see  her.  I  did  so,  ascending 
a  ladder  in  one  corner.  There,  sitting  on  her  bed,  was 
the  missionary's  wife.  .  .  .  Her  constitution  was  evi- 
dently fragile,  and,  to  her,  bodily  suffering  was  no 
stranger.  I  shall  never  forget  how  she  looked,  nor  with 
what  womanly  courtesy  she  received  me.  .  .  .  Not  a 
murmur  did  she  utter  and  scarcely  an  apology  for  any- 
thing. An  air  of  peace  and  contentment  characterized 
her.  I  noticed  that  the  whole  roof  was  a  little  askew, 
as  though  it  had  been  lifted  up  and  turned  around  and 
let  down  again,  with  articles  of  clothing  caught  in  the 
cracks. 

"  '  That,'  said  she,  '  was  done  by  a  hurricane  we  had  a 
few  days  ago.  The  wind  blew  terribly  for  a  while.  I 
was  here  all  alone,  and  thought  once  the  house  was 
going,  but  somehow  I  felt  safe.'  Her  husband,  she  said, 
had  gone  to  the  river  to  get  a  load  of  lumber.  She  was 
sorry  he  had  to  work  so  hard.  He  was  lame  and  not 
strong."  The  young  minister  spent  the  night  there  with 


70       PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

the  brave  young  people.  As  he  talked  with  them,  he 
realized  how  much  this  sick  woman  helped  her  husband 
by  her  sympathy  and  interest  in  his  work.  Later, 
when  he  knew  them  better  and  she  was  stronger,  he 
saw  many  other  things  that  she  did  to  help. 

She  and  others  like  her  bore  cheerfully  all  the  many 
inconveniences  and  discomforts  of  making  the  house  a 
home  in  the  new  country,  by  making  furniture  out  of 
boxes  and  contriving  this  or  that  other  way  to  make 
living  pleasant.  They  entered  heartily  into  the  work  for 
the  children  and  the  young  people  and  the  activities  of 
the  church  sewing  circles.  At  one  "  association  "  time 
when  the  ministers  with  their  wives  and  children  poured 
into  the  town  far  beyond  its  ability  to  give  them  room, 
the  minister's  wife  called  for  a  farm  wagon  and  scoured 
the  country  for  straw  until  beds  were  provided  for  all, 
even  though  they  filled  the  bedroom,  parlor,  and  entry 
of  the  parsonage. 

One  Great  Victory 

One  of  the  greatest  monuments  to  the  Iowa  Band  is 
Grinnell  College,  first  located  at  Davenport,  but  later 
moved  to  Grinnell.  "  If  each  one  of  us  can  only  plant 
one  good  permanent  church,  and  all  together  build  a 
college,  what  a  work  that  would  be!  "  So  said  one  of 
the  Band  while  they  were  still  only  thinking  about  their 
western  work.  In  believing  thus,  they  were  living  up  to 
the  ideal  of  their  Puritan  ancestors,  the  founders  of 
Harvard  and  other  colleges,  that  education  must  be 
provided  if  both  church  and  state  are  to  be  prosperous. 
In  March,  1844,  hardly  a  year  after  they  had  reached  the 
field,  a  meeting  of  ministers  and  other  folk  "  interested 
in  founding  a  college  "  was  held.  Plans  were  proposed 


FROM  SEA  TO  SHINING  SEA  71 

and  beginnings  made  without  "  even  a  dime  or  a  prom- 
ise save  as  there  was  faith  in  prayer  and  toil."  It  was 
one  of  the  Band  that,  in  1846,  put  down  a  dollar  on  the 
table  and  said,  "  Now  appoint  your  trustees  to  take  care 
of  that  dollar  for  Iowa  College."  By  1848  a  school  was 
opened.  How  they  toiled  and  prayed  for  its  success! 
Four  hundred  and  forty-two  dollars  was  subscribed  by 
the  twenty-one  ministers  in  1849  and  this  out  of  their 
salaries  of  about  $400  a  year.  The  next  year  they 
pledged  the  same  amount,  and  the  wives,  too,  took  their 
part,  fourteen  of  them  subscribing  $70.  Stories  such  as 
these  might  be  multiplied,  but  the  following  will  illus- 
trate the  spirit  of  all:  —  "He  was  a  plain  man,  and  his 
home  of  the  olden  stamp,  somewhat  old-fashioned  in  its 
air,  but  ample  in  comfort,  without  extravagance  or  dis- 
play. Riding  about  the  village  one  afternoon  in  the 
old  family  carriage,  he  reined  up  his  horse  where  a  towns- 
man was  building  a  residence  of  elegance  and  cost. 
Surveying  it  for  a  moment,  '  There/  said  he,  '  I  might 
take  my  money,  and  build  me  a  house  just  like  that; 
but  then,  if  I  should,  I  should  not  have  it  to  give  to 
Iowa  College/  '  The  one  man  built  a  house,  but  the 
other  built  men  and  women.  This  spirit  of  service 
conquered  all  obstacles.  How  proud  the  Iowa  Band 
would  be  of  their  successors,  the  "  Grinnell  Band,"  now 
at  work  in  China  helping  to  build  'there  the  kingdom  of 
God!  In  this  way  they  are  a  living  monument  to  the 
spirit  of  those  who  helped  to  build  Iowa  and  found  the 
college.  They  have  seen  the  gleam  which  led  their 
ancestors,  and  followed  it  across  the  shining  sea.  Now 
they  are  striving  there  that  others  in  that  far-away 
land  also  may  see  its  light  and  carry  it  on  into  all 
the  world. 


72      PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

A  Work  that  Goes  Forward 

Merely  founding  this  college  would  have  been  great 
enough  to  win  lasting  honor.  But  what  besides  was  the 
service  of  the  Band?  In  Iowa,  the  Congregational  min- 
isters and  churches  took  an  uncompromising  stand  against 
slavery  when  other  denominations  were  divided,  and 
that  helped  mightily  to  bring  Iowa  into  the  Union  as  a 
free  state.  At  the  time  of  the  Civil  War,  their  love  of 
freedom  and  their  bold  preaching  of  the  rights  of  man 
sent  many  a  man  into  the  Union  Army.  They  were 
responsible,  also,  for  introducing  the  annual  celebration 
of  Thanksgiving.  To  the  Congregational  denomination, 
the  Band  showed  that  Congregationalism  was  as  well 
suited  to  the  west  as  to  the  east,  and  from  that  time 
on,  the  Congregational  churches  have  grown  stronger 
and  stronger  throughout  the  west.  Their  earnest  re- 
ports of  the  necessity  for  help  in  building  up  the  strug- 
gling new  churches  proved  in  time  to  be  a  powerful 
factor  in  forming  one  of  the  most  important  of  Con- 
gregational societies  today,  the  Church  Building  Society. 
"  At  the  State  Capitol,  not  long  ago,  was  unveiled  the 
portrait  of  a  man  thought  worthy  of  such  honor.  Who 
was  this  man?  An  old  pioneer  preacher,  one  of  the 
Band,  Dr.  William  Salter  of  Burlington.  The  Governor 
said,  '  Men  of  his  character  and  of  his  class  are  the 
men  that  have  made  Iowa  what  she  is,  a  great,  noble, 
peerless,  Christian  commonwealth.' ' 

A  Dangerous  Ride 

Before  the  door  of  the  log  cabin,  not  far  from  Walla 
Walla,  in  the  Oregon  country,  stands  Dr.  Marcus  Whit- 
man saying  good-bye  to  his  wife  and  his  fellow  mis- 


FROM  SEA  TO  SHINING  SEA  73 

sionaries  and  his  Indian  friends.  He  leaps  to  his  horse 
and  is  off.  With  him  ride  a  young  man,  Amos  Lawrence 
Lovejoy,  and  an  Indian  guide.  Several  Indian  friends 
mount  their  horses  to  go  with  him  on  this  first  day's 
trip,  urging  on  the  mules  laden  with  supplies.  It  is 
early  October.  There  in  the  mountains,  the  air  is  fresh 
with  the  feeling  of  coming  fall.  Through  forests  flecked 
here  and  there  with  red  and  gold,  they  ride.  Starting 
up  the  partridge,  frightening  the  deer,  up  and  into  the 
mountains  they  climb.  The  horses  are  tethered,  the 
camp-fire  built,  supper  cooked  and  eaten.  Soundly  they 
sleep  until  morning;  they  have  come  forty  miles  that 
day.  Before  sunrise  they  are  up,  kindling  the  fire, 
boiling  the  coffee.  This  done  and  breakfast  eaten,  the 
horses  are  saddled,  the  pack  animals  made  ready  and 
off  they  ride  again. 

In  eleven  days  they  have  reached  Fort  Hall,  stopping 
only  for  rest  at  night  and  a  quiet  Sunday.  Day  after 
day  Indians  have  passed  them.  When  they  have  heard 
where  Doctor  Whitman  is  going,  they  have  shaken  their 
heads  and  told  him  not  to  go  on.  But  Doctor  Whitman 
has  gone  on.  He  is  not  one  who  turns  back.  Here  at 
Fort  Hall,  however,  Captain  Grant  of  the  trading  post 
gives  disturbing  information.  "  The  Pawnees  and  the 
Sioux  are  on  the  warpath.  You  will  lose  your  life  if 
you  go  on  through  their  country.  The  snow  in  the 
mountains,  too,  is  very  deep.  Turn  back,  or  at  least 
wait  till  spring." 

But  Doctor  Whitman  will  not  turn  back.  Instead  he 
turns  his  horse  to  a  more  southerly  course  through  the 
"  Spanish  country  "  toward  Santa  F6,  although  this  will 
make  nearly  a  thousand  miles  more  to  travel.  As  they 
ride  up  into  the  mountains,  blinding  snowstorms  and 


74       PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

deep  snow  keep  them  back,  yet  they  push  on  to  Fort 
Uintah.  There  they  rest  a  while  and  change  guides, 
before  traveling  on  to  their  next  stopping  place  at 
Fort  Uncompahgre  in  what  is  now  the  state  of  Colorado. 

Young  Lovejoy  in  letters  has  described  their  expe- 
rience in  crossing  the  Rocky  Mountains  in  winter.  Hear 
his  story: 

"  When  we  had  been  out  four  or  five  days  and  were 
passing  over  high  tablelands,  we  encountered  a  most 
terrific  snow-storm,  which  forced  us  to  seek  shelter  at  once. 
A  deep  ravine  being  near  by,  we  quickly  made  for  it,  but 
the  snow  fell  so  rapidly  and  the  wind  blew  with  such 
potence,  that  it  was  almost  impossible  to  reach  it.  After 
reaching  the  ravine  and  cutting  some  cottonwood  trees 
for  our  animals,  we  attempted  such  arrangements  for 
camp  as  best  we  could  under  the  circumstances,  and 
remained  snowed  in  for  some  three  or  four  days,  when 
the  storm  subsided,  and  it  cleared  off  intensely  cold. 
It  was  with  much  difficulty  that  we  made  our  way  up 
upon  the  highlands;  the  snow  was  so  deep  and  the 
wind  so  piercing  and  cold,  that  we  felt  compelled  to  return 
to  camp  and  wait  a  few  days  for  a  change  of  weather. 

"  Our  next  effort  was  more  successful,  and  after  spend- 
ing several  days  wandering  round  in  the  snow  without 
making  much  headway  and  greatly  fatiguing  our  ani- 
mals to  little  or  no  purpose,  our  guide  informed  us  that 
the  deep  snows  had  so  changed  the  face  of  the  country, 
that  he  was  completely  lost  and  could  take  us  no 
farther. 

"  This  was  a  terrible  blow  to  the  Doctor.  He  was 
determined  not  to  give  up  without  another  effort.  And 
we  at  once  agreed  that  the  Doctor  should  take  the  guide 
and  make  his  way  back  to  the  fort  and  procure  a  new 


FROM  SEA  TO  SHINING  SEA  75 

guide,  and  that  I  should  remain  in  camp  with  the  ani- 
mals until  his  return." 

For  a  whole  week  Lovejoy  waited  in  that  snow-bound 
camp,  alone  except  for  the  pack  animals  and  his  faithful 
dog.  The  pass  was  unfrequented.  It  was  possible  that 
Dr.  Whitman  might  not  be  able  to  reach  the  fort.  It 
was  possible,  too,  that  returning  he  could  not  find  him! 
Yet  he  did  come  at  last,  and  Lovejoy  goes  on  with  his 
story  thus: 

"  We  were  soon  under  way  on  our  route,  traveling 
through  the  snows  at  rather  a  snail's  pace.  Nothing 
occurred  of  much  importance  other  than  hard  and  slow 
traveling  until  we  reached,  as  our  guide  informed  us,  the 
Grand  River,  which  was  frozen,  on  either  side,  about 
one-third  across.  The  current  was  so  very  rapid  that 
the  center  of  the  stream  remained  open,  although  the 
weather  was  intensely  cold. 

"  This  stream  was  one  hundred  and  fifty  or  two 
hundred  yards  wide  and  looked  upon  by  our  guide  as 
very  dangerous  to  cross  in  its  present  condition.  But 
the  Doctor,  nothing  daunted,  was  the  first  to  take  the 
water.  He  mounted  his  horse,  and  the  guide  and  my- 
self pushed  them  off  the  ice  into  the  boiling,  foaming 
stream.  Away  they  went  completely  under  water, 
horse  and  all,  but  directly  came  up  and  after  buffeting 
the  waves  and  foaming  current,  he  made  his  way  to  the 
ice  on  the  opposite  side,  a  long  way  down  the  stream, 
and  leaped  from  his  horse  upon  the  ice,  and  soon  had 
his  noble  animal  by  his  side.  The  guide  and  myself 
forced  in  the  pack  animals,  followed  the  Doctor's  ex- 
ample, and  were  soon  drying  our  frozen  clothes  by  a 
comfortable  fire."  l 

'Quoted  as  in  Mowry's  "  Marcus  Whitman,"  p.  159. 


76       PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

At  another  time  the  Doctor,  who  had  attempted  to 
go  on  one  morning,  was  forced  by  the  blinding  snow  to 
find  his  camp,  as  the  only  hope  of  saving  their  lives. 

"  But  the  drifting  snow  had  totally  obliterated  every 
trace,  and  the  air  becoming  almost  as  dark  as  night  by 
the  maddening  storm,  the  Doctor  saw  that  it  would  be 
impossible  for  any  human  being  to  find  camp,  and  com- 
mending himself  and  his  distant  wife  to  his  covenant- 
keeping  God,  he  gave  himself  and  his  faithful  guide 
and  animals  up  to  their  snowy  grave  which  was  fast 
closing  in  on  them,  when  the  guide,  observing  the  ears 
of  one  of  the  mules  intently  bent  forward,  sprang  upon 
him,  giving  him  the  reins,  exclaiming :  '  This  mule  will 
find  camp  if  he  can  live  to  reach  it.'  The  Doctor 
mounted  another  and  followed;  the  faithful  animal 
kept  down  the  divide  a  short  distance,  and  then  turned 
square  down  the  steep  mountain.  Through  deep  snow- 
drifts, over  frightful  precipices,  down,  down  he  pushed, 
unguided  and  unurged  —  as  if  he  knew  the  lives  of  the 
two  men  and  the  fate  of  the  great  expedition  depended 
upon  his  endurance  and  faithfulness  —  and  into  the 
thick  timber,  and  stopped  suddenly  over  a  bare  spot, 
and ,  as  the  Doctor  dismounted  —  the  Mexican  was  too 
far  gone  —  behold  the  very  fireplace  of  their  morning 
camp!  Two  brands  of  fire  were  yet  alive  and  smoking. 

"  At  another  time,  with  another  guide,  on  the  head- 
waters of  the  Arkansas,  after  traveling  all  day  in  a 
terrible  storm,  they  reached  a  small  river  for  camp,  but 
without  a  stick  of  wood  anywhere  to  be  had  except  on 
the  other  side  of  the  stream,  which  was  covered  with 
ice  too  thin^  to  support  a  man  erect.  The  storm 
cleared  away,  and  the  night  bade  fair  to  be  intensely 
cold;  besides  they  must  have  fire  to  prepare  bread  and 


FROM  SEA  TO  SHINING  SEA  77 

food.  The  Doctor  took  his  axe  in  one  hand  and  a 
willow  stick  in  the  other,  laid  himself  upon  the  thin  ice, 
and  spreading  his  legs  and  arms  he  worked  himself  over 
on  his  breast,  cut  his  wood  and  slid  it  over,  and  re- 
turned the  same  way. 

"  That  was  the  last  time  the  Doctor  enjoyed  the 
luxury  of  his  axe  —  so  indispensable  at  that  season  of 
the  year  in  such  a  country.  That  night  a  wolf  poked 
his  nose  under  the  foot  of  the  bed  where  the  axe  had 
been  placed  for  safe  keeping,  and  took  it  off  for  a  leather 
string  that  had  been  wrapped  around  the  split  helve."  * 

The  Indians1  Appeal 

Several  years  before  Dr.  Marcus  Whitman  made  this 
difficult  journey  four  Nez  Perces  Indians  walked  from 
Oregon  to  St.  Louis  to  ask  for  the  white  man's  "  Book 
of  Heaven  "  and  a  "  man  near  to  God."  At  the  end 
of  the  winter,  with  one  instead  of  three  braves,  the 
chief  started  back  along  the  trail.  These  were  his 
words  as  he  left:  "I  came  to  you  over  a  trail  of  many 
moons  from  the  setting  sun.  You  were  the  friend  of 
my  fathers,  who  have  all  gone  the  long  way.  I  came 
with  one  eye  partly  opened,  for  more  light  for  my  people 
who  sit  in  darkness.  I  go  back  with  both  eyes  closed. 
How  can  I  go  back  blind  to  my  blind  people?  I  made 
my  way  to  you  with  strong  arms,  through  many  ene- 
mies and  strange  lands,  that  I  might  carry  back  much 
to  them.  I  go  back  with  both  arms  broken  and  empty. 
The  two  fathers  who  came  with  me  —  the  braves  of 
many  winters  and  wars  —  we  leave  asleep  here  by  your 
great  water.  They  were  tired  in  many  moons  and  their 
moccasins  wore  out.  My  people  sent  me  to  get  the 

1  Quoted  as  in  Mowry'i  "Marcus  Whitman,"  pp.  159-160. 


78       PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

white  man's  Book  from  Heaven.  You  took  me  where 
you  allow  your  women  to  dance  as  we  do  not  ours,  and 
the  Book  was  not  there.  You  took  me  where  they 
worship  the  Great  Spirit  with  candles,  and  the  Book  was 
not  there.  You  showed  me  images  of  good  spirits  and 
pictures  of  the  good  land  beyond,  but  the  Book  was  not 
among  them.  I  am  going  back  the  long,  sad  trail  to 
my  people  of  the  dark  land.  You  make  my  feet  heavy 
with  burdens  of  gifts  and  my  moccasins  will  grow  old 
in  carrying  them,  but  the  Book  is  not  among  them. 
When  I  tell  my  poor  blind  people,  after  one  more  snow, 
in  the  big  council,  that  I  did  not  bring  the  Book,  no  word 
will  be  spoken  by  our  old  men  or  by  our  young  braves. 
One  by  one  they  will  rise  up  and  go  the  long  path  to 
the  other  hunting  grounds.  No  white  man  will  go  with 
them  and  no  white  man's  Book  to  make  the  way  plain. 
I  have  no  more  words."  These  men  had  seen  the  gleam 
and  longed  to  follow  it,  yet  they  had  no  one  to  "  go 
with  them  and  no  white  man's  Book  to  make  the  way 
plain."  It  is  not  hard  to  see  why  a  man  like  Whitman 
answered  their  plea.  He  and  his  wife  and  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Spalding  and  Mrs.  Spalding  had  been  sent  out  to 
this  Oregon  country  by  the  American  Board  of  Com- 
missioners for  Foreign  Missions.  Strange  as  it  may 
seem  to  us,  Oregon  was  then  the  foreign  field.  Seven 
years  before  they  had  gone  the  long  trail  over  the 
plains  and  across  the  Great  Divide.  For  seven  years 
they  had  labored  to  make  the  way  plain  from  "  the 
white  man's  Book "  to  their  Indian  brothers.  Now 
they  were  asked  to  leave  them.  Word  had  come  from 
the  Board  at  Boston  asking  that  part  of  their  work 
be  discontinued.  Whitman  felt  earnestly  that,  if  the 
affairs  of  the  mission  were  thoroughly  understood,  this 


FROM  SEA  TO  SHINING  SEA  79 

limitation  of  their  work  would  not  have  to  take  place. 
He  would  ride  across  the  continent  and  set  the  matter 
straight  if  he  could. 

The  Patriotic  Purpose 

On  the  other  hand,  Marcus  Whitman  was  a  patriot. 
He  believed  that  the  Oregon  country,  so  beautiful, 
fertile,  and  rich  in  resources,  should  belong  to  the 
United  States,  and  that  because  so  little  was  known  of 
it  there  wTas  danger  that  it  would  fall  into  the  possession 
of  Great  Britain.  If  only  people  knew  the  value  of 
the  country,  they  would  come  to  live  in  it,  and  if 
enough  Americans  settled  in  the  territory,  then  it  would 
strengthen  the  claim  of  the  United  States.  He  would  ride  in 
the  winter  so  that  he  could  return  in  the  spring,  bringing 
with  him  as  many  immigrants  as  he  could.  He  would 
do  all  he  could  to  persuade  our  national  government 
not  to  give  up  Oregon  to  the  British.  If  he  waited 
until  spring  it  might  be  too  late. 

What  Came  of  the  Ride 

To  accomplish  these  two  purposes  he  endured  all  the 
peril  and  hardship  of  the  ride.  That  the  American 
Board  reconsidered  its  decision  regarding  the  Oregon 
Mission  as  a  result  of  Dr.  Whitman's  visit  is  very  clear. 
That  Dr.  Whitman  did  anything  at  all  to  win  Oregon 
for  the  United  States  has  been  disputed.  However, 
the  best  authorities  believe  that  Marcus  Whitman  was 
the  one  who  did  most  in  winning  the  Oregon  country, 
although  he  was  not,  of  course,  wholly  responsible  for 
the  great  stream  of  immigration  that  passed  into  Oregon 
the  summer  of  1843.  Many  people  had  thought  of 
going  to  Oregon  before  this,  but  they  had  not  gone, 


80      PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

because  they  had  heard  that  it  was  impossible  to  take 
wagons  over  the  mountains  the  other  side  of  Fort  Hall 
down  to  the  valleys  of  the  Willamette  and  the  Columbia 
rivers.  If  they  could  not  take  wagons,  they  could  not 
take  their  wives  and  children  and  supplies  over  the 
mountains.  Consequently  settlements  would  be  out  of 
the  question.  Here  Whitman's  testimony  that  he  had 
taken  his  wagon  over  the  mountains  seven  years  before 
and  his  word  that  he  was  going  to  return  by  that  route 
in  the  spring  proved  of  vast  importance.  Because  of 
his  word,  many  were  encouraged  to  make  the  attempt. 
Everywhere  Whitman  went  he  talked  about  Oregon 
and  the  outlook  for  prosperity  there.  Certain  it  was 
that  he  guided  nearly  one  thousand  immigrants,  with 
their  wagons,  cattle  and  sheep,  across  the  divide  and 
into  the  new  country,  proving  that  reaching  Oregon 
by  wagon  was  possible.  Other  caravans  of  pioneers 
followed  until  the  presence  of  so  many  Americans  in 
the  territory  made  it  true  American  soil.  In  1846 
by  treaty  with  Great  Britain,  the  Oregon  territory  south 
of  the  forty-ninth  parallel  came  into  possession  of  the 
United  States.  Pilgrims  and  Puritans,  through  their 
descendants,  had  at  last  established  their  claim  to  pos- 
sess the  land  "  from  sea  to  sea."  Surely  the  heroic 
missionary  and  Christian  patriot,  Marcus  Whitman, 
deserves  a  place  of  honor  among  all  followers  of  the 
gleam,  these  builders  of  states  whose  good  shall  be 
indeed  crowned  with  brotherhood  and  become  the  king- 
dom of  God. 

TO  THE  PUPIL 

The  story  of  the  Iowa  Band  is  told  by  one  of  their  number, 
Ephraim  Adams.  The  life  of  Marcus  Whitman  written  by  Mowry 
is  full  of  fascinating  adventures. 


FROM  SEA  TO  SHINING  SEA  81 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  qualities  make  a  good  football  or  basket-ball   player? 

2.  Why  do  athletic  teams  practise  and  train  before  a  contest? 

3.  Why  do  athletic  teams  need  team  work? 

4.  What  was  the  contest  the  Iowa  Band  played? 

5.  How  was  it  trained  for  work? 

6.  How  did  it  carry  on  its  team  work? 

7.  What  was  one  great  victory? 

8.  Show  why  you  think  their  game  was  worth  winning. 

9.  What  experiences  did  Dr.  Marcus  Whitman  have  on  liis  ride 
from  Oregon? 

10.  What  were  his  two  reasons  for  taking  the  ride? 

11.  What  kind  of  man  do  you  think  Dr.  Whitman  was? 

12.  What  was  Dr.  Whitman's  vision  of  Oregon's  future? 

13.  What  did  Dr.  Whitman's  daring  ride  accomplish? 

14.  Why  was  the  work  of  the  Iowa  Band  and  Dr.  Whitman  im- 
portant for  the  extension  of  democracy? 


VI 
INTO  ALL  THE  WORLD 

"  Though  you  and  I  are  very  little  beings,  we  must  not  rest 
satisfied  till  we  have  made  our  influence  extend  to  the  remotest 
corner  of  this  ruined  world."  —  Samuel  J.  Mills. 

The  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.!  What  does  this  row  of  letters 
signify?  Do  you  know?  Marcus  Whitman  knew,  and 
knew  that  they  stood  for  a  way  by  which  our  influence 
could  extend  to  the  remotest  corner  of  the  world.  Does 
that  seem  impossible?  This  chapter  will  show  you  that 
it  is  not;  that  Samuel  Mills  did  do  it;  that  we  can. 

A  Man  with  a  Vision 

Samuel  J.  Mills,  though  only  a  freshman  at  Williams 
College  in  the  year  1806,  became  a  leader  amongst  his 
fellows  within  a  few  weeks  after  his  entrance.  He  was 
not  handsome.  His  skin  was  sallow,  his  voice  hoarse, 
his  figure  awkward,  and  his  manners  unattractive.  He 
did  not  win  prominence  in  scholarship.  He  took  no 
honors  at  graduation.  He  was  not  an  eloquent  speaker. 
Yet  he  was  a  leader,  and  his  influence  has  extended  into 
the  whole  world.  Why?  He  was  a  man  with  a  vision. 
A  college  friend  wrote  of  him,  "  He  has  a  great  heart 
and  great  designs."  He  was  filled  with  enthusiasm  for 
this  ideal.  He  not  only  gave  himself  loyally  to  following 
it,  but  he  also  helped  others  to  see  this  gleam  and  follow 
it  too.  What  was  it? 

Under  the  Haystack 

With  certain  of  his  friends  it  was  his  habit  to  meet 
for  prayer.  On  one  particularly  hot  August  Saturday 


INTO  ALL  THE  WORLD  83 

afternoon  only  five  men  came  to  the  grove  of  maples 
near  the  river  for  their  weekly  circle  of  prayer.  Besides 
Samuel  Mills  there  were  James  Richards  and  Harvey 
Loomis,  who  were  also  freshmen,  and  Francis  L.  Robbins 
and  Byram  Green,  who  were  sophomores.  Heavy 
black  clouds  piled  up  in  the  west;  soon  it  lightened  and 
thundered.  Quickly  leaving  the  grove  they  found 
shelter  from  the  driving  rain  under  a  haystack  in  the 
neighboring  field,  and  waiting  there  for  the  storm  to 
pass,  they  talked  of  Asia.  They  had  been  studying  it 
in  their  regular  course  in  geography,  which  in  those  days 
was  a  college  subject,  and  all  were  much  interested  in  it 
and  in  the  East  India  Company,  which  was  just  opening 
up  that  great  continent  for  trade.  They  discussed  the 
great  darkness  of  that  land  and  the  degradation  of  the 
people.  Here  was  just  the  opportunity  Samuel  Mills 
had  been  waiting  for.  Now  he  would  tell  them  of  his 
ideal.  "  Why  not  send  India  the  story  of  the  love  of 
God  in  Jesus  Christ  and  let  the  people  know  how  he 
is  able  to  save  men  from  misery  and  sin?  "  he  asked. 
He  talked  long  and  eagerly,  for  they  raised  all  kinds  of 
objections.  Finally  he  said  in  answer  to  their  objec- 
tions, "  We  can  do  it,  if  we  will!  " 

The  Brethren 

This  was  the  vision  that  shone  before  Samuel  Mills: 
he  would  have  all  men  everywhere  know  God  through 
Jesus  Christ.  This  vision  he  would  give  his  life  to  making 
real.  "  We  can  do  it  if  we  will."  Did  he  succeed?  Well, 
what  followed?  First  of  all,  immediately,  there  under  the 
haystack,  as  the  five  friends  talked  it  over,  three  agreed  with 
him;  yet  one  argued  that  before  missionaries  were  sent, 
civilization  ought  to  be  carried;  otherwise  the  missionaries 


84      PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

might  be  murdered.  At  last  Mills  said,  "  Come,  let  us 
make  it  a  subject  of  prayer  under  the  haystack,  while  the 
dark  clouds  are  going  and  the  clear  sky  is  coming."  All 
believed  in  prayer,  and  one  after  another  prayed  that 
God  would  make  real  their  vision.  Week  by  week  these 
prayer  meetings  went  on,  during  the  pleasant  days  out  of 
doors,  during  the  winter  in  a  kindly  neighbor's  kitchen. 
With  the  others  who  joined  their  group,  all  the  scraps  of 
information  about  foreign  missions  were  eagerly  sought 
and  discussed.  What  they  knew  of  William  Carey,  the 
first  missionary  in  India,  who  had  been  there  only  about 
fourteen  years,  must  have  been  eagerly  talked  of  as  they 
sat  in  each  other's  rooms  on  the  campus,  or  took  long 
tramps  in  the  woods.  Eventually  there  grew  up  the  first 
missionary  society,  "  The  Brethren,"  a  very  different 
society  from  those  which  we  know  about  today,  for  the 
members  of  this  society  had  as  their  purpose  not  sending 
others  but  going  themselves.  They  not  only  prayed 
that  God  would  make  their  vision  real ;  they  gave  him  their 
lives  to  use  in  bringing  it  about. 

As  Mills  and  others  of  the  Brethren  at  Williams,  in  order 
to  carry  out  their  purpose  of  becoming  missionaries,  must 
study  for  the  ministry,  they  went  to  Andover  Seminary. 
There  they  found  others,  especially  Adoniram  Judson 
of  Brown,  Samuel  Nott  of  Union,  and  Samuel  Newell  of 
Harvard,  who,  like  themselves,  had  thought  of  the  needs  of 
Asia.  Since  they  had  made  carrying  forward  this  work 
of  foreign  missions  their  life  purpose  too,  they  admitted 
them  into  the  Society  of  the  Brethren.  These  young  men 
often  wondered,  though,  "  How  they  should  preach  except 
they  be  sent?  "  Judson  thought  of  applying  to  one  of  the 
two  British  societies  which  sent  out  missionaries,  but  Mills 
felt  it  would  be  a  disgrace  to  America  not  to  support  its 


INTO  ALL  THE  WORLD  85 

own  foreign  missionaries.  He  would  have  the  leaders  of 
the  churches,  "  the  fathers,  rise  up  and  take  the  business 
of  missions  into  their  own  hands."  Advised  by  their 
seminary  professors,  they  laid  their  plan  before  the  General 
Association  of  Congregational  Churches  of  Massachusetts. 
Only  four  names,  those  of  Adoniram  Judson,  Jr.,  Samuel 
Nott,  Jr.,  Samuel  J.  Mills,  and  Samuel  Newell,  appeared 
on  the  petition.  Luther  Rice  and  James  Richards  wished 
to  sign  it,  but  they  were  advised  not  to  because  it  was 
feared  the  sight  of  so  many  names  might  alarm  the  associa- 
tion. Stating  their  purpose  they  asked  whether  they  had 
best  abandon  it  or  whether  the  churches  would  form  a 
missionary  society  to  send  them  out.  This  query  was 
answered  by  the  formation  of  the  American  Board  of 
Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions  in  1810. 

Into  all  the  World 

On  February  8,  1812,  at  Salem,  five  missionaries  were 
ordained,  Samuel  Nott,  Adoniram  Judson,  Gordon  Hall, 
Samuel  Newell,  and  Luther  Rice.  Where  was  Samuel 
Mills,  that  first  volunteer  for  Foreign  Missionary  Service? 
Surely  he  would  be  one  of  the  first  to  go.  How  did  this 
happen?  In  the  first  place,  his  friends  tell  us  that  he  be- 
lieved Gordon  Hall  to  be  better  fitted  than  he  to  have  the 
honor  of  going  to  the  field;  in  the  second  place,  we  know 
that  the  Brethren  believed  Mills  specially  fitted  to  stay 
at  home  and  interest  the  people  in  the  churches  so  that  they 
would  support  those  who  would  go  out  to  the  field,  and  also 
urge  other  young  men  to  give  their  lives  to  this  work. 
Bravely  and  quietly,  sacrificing  the  dearest  dream  of  his 
life,  an  active  part  in  carrying  the  gospel  to  other  lands,  in 
order  that  the  vision  itself  might  be  more  splendidly  real- 
ized, he  stayed  at  home.  In  his  sacrifice,  by  his  absolute 


86       PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

devotion  to  this  purpose,  he  became  a  mighty  power  in 
carrying  forward  the  work  of  foreign  missions,  and  greatly 
aroused  America  at  home  to  the  needs  of  missionary  work 
in  the  frontier  states  and  the  cities.  Truly  the  influence 
of  his  life  as  it  touched  and  influenced  other  lives  has  been 
felt  all  around  the  world  to  the  "  remotest  corner." 

The  Work  They  Started 

For  over  a  hundred  years  the  American  Board  of  Com- 
missioners for  Foreign  Missions  has  been  at  work.  In 
1812  they  sent  out  five  missionaries;  in  1916  there  were  six 
hundred  sixty-one  missionaries  on  the  field;  forty-six  were 
appointed  to  go  for  a  lifetime  of  service  and  six  others 
were  sent  to  serve  for  a  term  of  years;  in  all  a  total  of  seven 
hundred  thirteen.  In  1812  the  churches  raised  $13,611.50; 
in  1916  the  total  sum  was  $1,207,126.54.  In  1813  there 
was  one  mission  established;  in  1916  the  Board  had  nine- 
teen missions  in  which  there  are  106  stations  with  1,461 
out-stations.  Associated  today  with  the  American  Board 
are  the  three  women's  boards,  the  Woman's  Board  of  Mis- 
sions, with  its  headquarters  in  Boston,  the  Woman's  Board 
of  Missions  of  the  Interior,  with  headquarters  at  Chicago, 
and  the  Woman's  Board  of  Missions  for  the  Pacific,  with 
its  headquarters  in  San  Francisco.  Early  in  its  years 
of  service  the  American  Board  discovered  that  there  was 
work  which  only  women  could  do  for  the  women  and  chil- 
dren in  these  non-Christian  lands,  work  which  the  mis- 
sionary wives  had  not  time  and  strength  to  undertake. 
Therefore  the  Board  asked  the  women  and  children  of  the 
Congregational  churches  to  undertake  this  work  as  specially 
theirs.  So  the  Woman's  Boards  were  organized,  pledging 
themselves  each  year  to  raise  a  certain  part  of  the  money 
needed  by  the  American  Board.  This  amounts  to  one 


INTO  ALL  THE  WORLD  87 

third  of  the  whole  sum  expended  by  the  American  Board 
each  year.  Thus  the  Woman's  Boards  and  the  children 
support  the  unmarried  women  who  go  out  as  missionaries 
under  the  American  Board,  and  support  the  work  they  do 
in  the  schools  for  girls,  in  kindergartens,  in  hospitals  for 
women,  and  in  carrying  into  their  homes  the  good  news  of 
the  love  God  has  for  women  as  well  as  men  and  his  will 
for  them. 

Missions  and  Democracy 

Now  statistics  showing  the  results  of  foreign  missions 
mean  nothing  until  we  realize  that  each  unit  represented 
in  the  total  is  a  person  with  all  that  person's  love,  courage, 
hope,  strength  and  service,  or  their  opposites,  hate,  fear, 
weakness,  selfishness,  laziness.  It  is  only  when  we  begin 
to  see  the  difference  made  in  individual  lives  by  knowing 
Jesus,  and  then  through  them  the  difference  wrought 
in  whole  communities,  that  we  begin  to  appreciate  what  the 
figures  mean  and  understand  something  of  the  great  ac- 
complishment of  foreign  missions.  Then  we  see  that  it  is 
not  by  chance  that  the  least  progressive  nations  are  those 
which  are  not  Christian.  We  become  convinced  that  there 
is,  in  fellowship  with  Jesus  and  in  following  his  program  for 
the  life  of  men,  a  power  which  transforms  men  and  brings 
the  kingdom  of  God  to  earth.  The  rest  of  this  chapter  will 
attempt  to  show  this  transforming  power  of  the  gleam. 

If  You  were  an  African  Girl 

Let  us  visit  South  Africa  first,  and  enter  the  hut  which 
a  Zulu  boy  or  girl  calls  home.  It  is  round  and  made  of 
thatch.  Down  you  must  go  on  your  knees  and  crawl  in 
on  the  hard  dirt  floor.  You  cough  and  sneeze  with  the 
smoke  from  the  fire  in  the  center.  There  is  only  one 


88       PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

opening,  the  door  by  which  you  have  entered.  All  the 
light  there  is  comes  from  this  and  from  the  fire.  As  your 
eyes  grow  accustomed  to  the  dark  you  may  see  in  the  corner 
a  hen  with  her  chickens.  A  low  "  moo  "  may  frighten 
you  a  bit  and,  as  you  look  about  startled,  there  in  another 
dark  corner  you  may  discover  a  calf.  On  mats  on  the 
floor  are  the  children,  squatting  around  the  fire  waiting  for 
their  supper.  If  you  are  an  African  girl,  you  have  hard 
work  to  do;  you  have  the  meal  to  grind  and  the  food  to 
prepare  for  the  men  and  boys;  you  have  the  wood  and 
water  to  fetch;  all  the  garden  to  plant  and  care  for.  It  is 
work,  work,  work.  Never  will  there  be  any  end  of  it  for 
you!  You  cannot  do  anything  else  if  you  wish,  for  you 
are  the  property  of  your  father  or  brother  and  he  may  sell 
you  in  exchange  for  cattle  at  any  time  to  be  one  of  the  wives 
of  some  neighbor.  There  it  will  be  just  more  hard  work. 
Life  is  always  full  of  fear.  In  the  dark  are  many  evil 
spirits  who  will  do  you  harm.  If  you  are  sick  —  and  you 
often  are  because  no  one  tells  you,  and  you  do  not  know, 
the  simple,  every-day  ways  of  keeping  well  —  then  the 
witch  doctor  must  come,  and  though  he  does  all  sorts  of 
things  to  frighten  away  the  spirit  which  brings  the  pain,  he 
cannot  make  it  any  less.  Sometimes  it  goes  away  by  it- 
self, but  often  it  does  not.  There's  just  no  use!  Now, 
would  it  make  any  difference  to  you,  if  you  were  an  African 
girl,  to  know  that  there  are  no  spirits  in  the  dark  to  harm 
you,  that  the  only  spirit  round  about  us  all  is  the  loving 
God  who  cares  for  every  one?  Wouldn't  it  make  a  differ- 
ence to  you  if  you  could  go  to  the  mission  school?  There 
life  would  be  very  different  from  your  old  home,  for  it 
would  be  happy  and  full  of  love.  You  would  have  to  work, 
of  course,  in  order  to  learn  how  to  care  for  yourself  and 
your  clothes,  to  sew,  to  wash,  to  cook,  and  to  work  in  the 


INTO  ALL  THE  WORLD  89 

fields.  Yet  you  would  learn  to  read,  so  that  for  yourself 
you  could  read  the  stories  of  Jesus,  and  there  would  be 
songs  and  games  and  all  sorts  of  happy  times.  Then  you 
would  not  mind  the  work,  for  you  would  remember  that 
even  though  you  were  a  girl,  there  was  love  for  you,  and 
hope  for  better  things,  and  a  way  to  be  strong  to  conquer 
yourself.  Perhaps  when  you  grew  older,  you  would  become 
a  teacher  of  other  girls  like  the  girl  you  once  were,  and 
help  them  to  understand  all  the  love  you  now  know.  Per- 
haps you  would  one  day  have  a  home  of  your  own  —  one, 
oh,  so  different  from  that  in  which  you  lived  as  a  little  girl. 
Life  for  you  then  would  be  sweet.  You  would  have  seen 
the  gleam  and  following  it,  would  let  it  shine  forth  to 
others,  that  it  might  guide  them,  too. 

If  You  were  a  Boy  of  India 

Now  suppose  you  were  a  boy,  in  India.  Would  you  go 
to  school?  You  might,  if  there  were  a  school  to  which 
you  could  go,  but  more  probably  you  wouldn't,  for  there 
are  not  schools  enough  for  all  the  children,  especially  out 
in  the  country  districts.  You  might  not  even  know  what 
one  was.  However,  one  day  you  and  your  friends  might  be 
surprised  to  find  a  "  school  "  opened  by  the  stranger  who 
had  recently  come  to  your  village.  How  you  would  flock 
there,  and,  squatting  in  a  circle  on  the  floor,  how  you  would 
listen  to  all  his  stories!  Day  after  day  you  would  go. 
But  there  would  come  a  time  when  you  would  know  all 
that  your  young  teacher  could  teach  you,  and  then  how 
you  would  long  to  go  to  the  distant  city  where  he  had  been 
taught.  Perhaps  some  day  you  would  follow  this  gleam. 
You  would  set  out  on  this  great  adventure  with  your 
precious  treasures  carried  in  a  bundle  on  your  back.  You 
might  have  to  walk  as  many  as  ten  days  before  you  could 


90       PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

stand  at  the  gate  of  the  "  School  "  and  tell  them  you  had 
come.  Yet  when  at  last  you  did,  why  did  they  not  swing 
wide  the  gates?  What  was  this  they  said  to  you?  "  What 
have  you  brought  to  pay  for  your  school  days?  "  Alas! 
you  had  brought  nothing.  Then  they  might  say  sad 
words.  The  school  was  already  more  than  full;  there 
was  no  way  in  which  you  could  be  cared  for.  Then  back 
you  must  trudge,  heartbroken,  to  your  village  because  there 
was  no  room.  Just  suppose  you  were  this  boy! 

But  perhaps  you  are  allowed  to  enter  the  new  life  of 
the  school.  What  is  it  you  study?  What  does  the 
school  work  mean?  Of  course,  all  study  English.  Now 
this  means  more  than  just  mastering  the  alphabet  and 
pronouncing  words  properly,  for  the  words  stand  for 
ideas,  you  know,  so  that,  by  studying  English  and  read- 
ing English  books,  these  school  boys  —  and  girls  too  — 
are  learning  English  ideas  and  ideals.  They  come  upon 
the  words  patriotism,  freedom,  citizenship,  congress,  rep- 
resentatives. Learning  what  these  mean  makes  them 
think.  To  learn  English,  you  see,  means  to  come  into 
touch  with  the  ideas  which  have  made  the  world  prog- 
ress. Perhaps  this  Hindu  boy  who  has  always  been 
taught  that  educating  a  girl  is  like  putting  a  knife  in 
the  hands  of  a  monkey,  comes  upon  this  in  his  reading, 
"  The  woman's  cause  is  man's;  they  rise  or  fall  together  — 
bond  or  free."  That  is  a  startling  idea  to  him.  He  has 
to  think  hard  over  it.  The  study  of  science  and  geog- 
raphy upset  some  rather  curious  notions  about  the 
sacredness  of  the  Ganges.  He  has  thought  that,  as  it 
has  its  source  in  the  left  foot  of  one  of  the  gods,  it  is 
therefore  a  sacred  stream  which  will  sanctify  all  who 
bathe  in  it.  Every  day  in  school  it  is  as  if  many  new 
windows  and  doors  are  opened  before  him  through  which 


INTO  ALL  THE  WORLD  91 

he  can  look  at  the  world.  Not  only  the  eyes  and  brains 
but  the  hands  also  are  being  trained.  Boys  have  thought 
that  labor  with  the  hands  was  for  women,  that  as  men 
they  must  not  so  degrade  themselves.  Yet  in  these 
mission  schools  they  are  taught  to  work,  to  make  good 
roads,  to  build  houses  and  furniture,  to  take  better  care 
of  farms  and  get  better  crops,  to  make  clothes  and  shoes, 
to  run  printing-presses,  to  do  all  kinds  of  work,  and  feel 
that  work  is  honorable. 

Opening  Doors 

There  are  three  ways  in  which  this  side  of  their  school 
life  is  important.  The  first  is  the  practical  relief  this 
training  gives  to  the  every-day  life  of  the  people.  The 
greatest  number  of  the  people  whom  our  missionaries 
reach  are  very  poor.  Most  of  them  in  Africa  and  India 
and  a  great  many  of  them  in  Turkey  make  their  living 
in  agriculture,  and  as  they  do  not  know  some  of  the 
best  methods,  their  crops  are  not  very  large.  Whenever 
a  bad  year  causes  a  failure  of  their  crops,  they  are  near 
famine  and  starvation.  So  they  are  shown  that  simply 
using  an  American  steel  plough,  which  does  more  than 
merely  scratch  the  surface  as  the  native  plough  does,  will 
make  the  same  field  bear  three  times  as  much  wheat, 
and  that  ploughing  before  the  rain  comes,  to  break  up 
the  hard-baked  surface  of  the  ground  so  that  the  mois- 
ture will  sink  deep,  also  does  much  to  increase  the  yield. 
Methods  of  dry  farming  and  silage  are  taught,  too.  By 
all  of  these  ways  much  is  done  to  prevent  the  famines 
which  so  often  sweep  over  the  country.  Boys  and  girls 
trained  in  these  schools  are  better  equipped  to  face  the 
problems  of  earning  their  living  and  becoming  inde- 
pendent self-respecting  men  and  women.  The  second 


92       PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

way  in  which  this  industrial  training  is  important  is  that 
it  helps  to  build  Christian  character.  Legs  of  chairs 
and  tables  must  be  exactly  right  or  they  will  wobble 
uncomfortably.  "  Near  enough  "  won't  do.  Machinery 
is  mercilessly  accurate;  the  witness  of  the  yardstick 
and  the  clock  is  not  to  be  disputed.  Thus  these  boys 
and  girls  of  the  lands  where  "  near  enough  "  has  long 
been  the  custom,  are  brought  to  realize  the  beauty  of 
absolute  accuracy,  truthfulness,  and  honor.  They  are 
helped  to  form  habits  of  work  and  overcome  the  liking 
for  inactivity  and  selfish  ease.  But  the  most  important 
aspect  of  their  school  life  is  that  through  it  they  gain 
a  new  idea  of  what  God  is,  and  what  he  wishes  them  to 
be.  They  learn  to  think  of  him  as  a  Father  who  loves 
them,  who  is  pure  and  righteous,  and  who  desires  all 
men  to  love  him,  to  become  like  him,  and  to  love  and 
serve  their  fellowmen.  They  learn  what  God  is  because 
they  learn  to  know  Jesus.  They  accept  Jesus  as  their 
master,  and  loyally  they  follow  him,  trying  in  their 
lives  to  show  his  spirit.  They  find  strength  to  overcome 
their  selfishness,  their  fear,  their  untruthfulness,  their 
anger.  They  behold  the  gleam  which  has  led  the  mis- 
sionaries over  there  —  God's  love  for  men  and  his  will 
that  all  men  should  serve  each  other  lovingly.  They 
follow  the  gleam,  too;  and  so  they  go  out  from  the 
schools  back  into  their  own  places  letting  the  love  of 
God  shine  through  them  so  that  in  their  lives  and  by 
their  service  others  may  catch  its  gleam  and  follow  too. 
In  this  way  all  the  world  shall  become  radiant  with 
God's  spirit.  Thus  you  see  that  the  third  great  service 
of  these  mission  schools  in  the  non-Christian  lands,  the 
greatest  service  of  all,  is  that  through  these  leaders  who 
are  trained  to  carry  on  for  Jesus  the  work  just  begun 


INTO  ALL  THE  WORLD  93 

are  built  the  new  little  Christian  homes  which  will  make 
by  and  by  the  Christian  towns  and  villages,  and  finally 
the  Christian  states.  Thus  God's  kingdom  is  established. 

A  Ministry  of  Healing 

But  there  is  still  another  kind  of  missionary  work. 
Just  suppose  you  had  a  very  bad  pain  indeed,  a  stomach 
ache,  or  maybe  more  serious  than  that,  a  case  of  ap- 
pendicitis. If  you  were  in  China,  the  Chinese  doctor 
would  come  and  finding  out  where  your  pain  was,  would 
run  a  long  needle  into  the  spot  so  that  the  devil  who 
was  making  all  the  trouble  there  might  get  out.  Or 
suppose  you  were  an  Indian  boy  and  fell  —  boys  some- 
times do  —  and  broke  your  arm  or  leg.  Perhaps  your 
arm  or  leg  would  mend  by  itself,  but  more  likely  it 
would  not,  and  you  could  not  use  it  again.  You  would 
then  have  to  beg  for  a  living.  If  you  were  a  girl,  you 
would  be  the  servant  of  all  in  the  house.  Or,  suppose 
that  like  ever  and  ever  so  many  boys  and  girls  in  these 
non-Christian  lands  you  were  blind,  just  because  your 
mother  had  not  known  how  to  keep  your  eyes  clean 
when  you  were  a  tiny  baby.  And  blind  boys  and  girls 
in  those  non-Christian  lands  have  nothing  to  look  for- 
ward to  but  beggary  or  slavery.  Surely  it  would  make 
some  difference  to  you  —  would  it  not?  —  if  you  could  go 
to  the  missionaries'  hospitals  and  there  be  cared  for 
tenderly  and  made  well  again  if  that  were  possible. 
In  India,  for  example,  ninety  out  of  every  hundred 
people  die  without  being  able  to  go  to  a  doctor,  and 
people  are  sick  chiefly  because  they  do  not  know  the 
simplest  rules  for  health.  Besides,  before  the  Christian 
doctors  came  themselves  and  trained  other  doctors  and 
nurses,  the  only  doctors  they  knew  were  of  no  real  use, 


94       PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

and  often  made  matters  worse,  for  most  of  their  remedies 
were  based  on  the  idea  that  evil  spirits  were  causing 
the  pain  and  would  have  to  be  frightened  off.  Nothing 
was  done  for  the  blind,  the  deaf,  the  cripples,  the  little 
orphan  children,  not  until  the  people  in  the  non-Chris- 
tian lands  followed  the  example  set  by  the  Christian 
missionaries.  These  deeds  of  theirs  speak  of  love  in  a 
language  that  people  could  not  fail  to  understand.  The 
tale  is  told  of  a  rough  Kurdish  chief  in  Turkey  who  had 
a  very  sore  foot.  He  finally  went  to  Dr.  Shepard's 
hospital  in  Aintab.  There  the  dirty  wrappings  were 
removed  by  a  trained  nurse.  His  foot  was  bathed.  The 
hands  of  the  doctor  himself  removed  the  sore  and  kept 
the  foot  clean  until  it  was  well.  Why  had  these  stran- 
gers done  for  him  what  no  one  of  his  own  family  would 
stoop  to  do?  He  could  not  solve  the  riddle.  While 
getting  well,  he  listened  to  the  tales  they  told  him  of  one, 
Jesus,  who  on  earth  went  about  doing  good.  Then  he 
learned  why,  and  he  is  not  likely  to  forget  that  they 
did  it  for  him  because  they  loved  Jesus.  In  the  hos- 
pitals, therefore,  hurt  bodies  are  healed,  and  to  each  one 
is  given  also  the  good  news  Jesus  brought  of  the  love 
which  will  heal  the  heart  and  make  new  and  joyous  the 
life. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  go  on  with  accounts  of  the 
other  work  done  by  those  who  have  followed  the  gleam 
into  all  the  world;  how  they  are  establishing  training 
schools  for  doctors  and  nurses,  how  they  are  preventing 
the  spread  of  plagues  and  epidemics  of  disease  by  quar- 
antine and  vaccination,  and  even  preventing  disease 
itself,  by  teaching  the  laws  of  health  and  right  living 
and  the  importance  of  clean  cities  and  towns;  how  they 
are  busy  at  work  in  the  larger  cities  through  settle- 


INTO  ALL  THE  WORLD  95 

ments  and  clubs  for  the  boys  and  girls  as  well  as  older 
people  employed  in  the  factories;  how  they  have  led  and 
do  lead  in  all  sorts  of  reforms,  against  the  slave  trade,  the 
opium  traffic,  foot-binding,  infanticide;  and  how  the 
people  of  the  non-Christian  nations,  even  though  they 
do  not  accept  Jesus  as  their  Lord,  are  imitating  his 
loving  care  for  the  aged,  the  sick,  the  blind,  the  deaf, 
the  lepers. 

A  Roll  of  Honor 

The  adventures  of  our  missionary  leaders  thrill  us. 
Do  you  know  how  Cyrus  Hamlin  baked  bread  for  an 
army?  Do  you  know  how  Joseph  Hardy  Neesima  came 
to  America  as  a  stowaway  and  returned  to  Japan  to 
found  a  Christian  College?  Do  you  know  how  Eli 
Smith  and  Harrison  Gray  Otis  Dwight  disguised  in 
oriental  robes,  turbans,  and  enormous  Tartar  stockings 
and  boots,  set  out  from  Constantinople  and  traveled 
eastward  through  Persia,  on  a  tour  of  exploration  lasting 
a  year  and  a  quarter,  having  all  sorts  of  exciting  ex- 
periences and  bringing  back  with  them  such  a  fund  of 
information  about  the  region  they  had  visited  that  it  is 
of  practical  value  today?  Do  you  know  of  David 
Churchill's  loom  in  India  which  makes  three  times  as 
much  cloth  an  hour  as  its  nearest  competitor  and  thus 
enables  these  native  weavers  to  compete  somewhat  more 
successfully  with  the  cloths  imported  from  England  and 
Scotland?  There's  the  story  of  Mrs.  Mary  K.  Edwards, 
too,  the  first  missionary  of  the  Woman's  Board,  who  in 
South  Africa  has  long  been  an  authority  on  crops  and 
fertilizers,  has  installed  an  irrigation  system,  and  when 
over  seventy  took  a  correspondence  course  in  nursing 
in  order  to  help  her  girls.  Do  you  know  the  story  of 


96       PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

how  Peter  Parker,  the  first  distinctively  medical  mis- 
sionary ever  sent  to  the  field  by  any  American  or 
English-speaking  society,  "  opened  China  at  the  point 
of  the  lancet "?  Do  you  know  how  out  of  gratitude 
the  native  princes  of  India  have  built  a  wonderful  hos- 
pital in  Madura  where  Dr.  Frank  Van  Allen  carries  on 
his  work?  But  we  cannot  go  on  with  this  list  —  for 
the  roll  of  honor  is  long  indeed.  You  will  have  to 
explore  for  yourselves  and  learn  the  rest  of  this  glorious 
story.  Perhaps,  however,  enough  has  been  told  to  show 
the  splendor  of  the  gleam  which  Samuel  J.  Mills  and 
these  others  have  followed,  and  which  through  them 
shines  into  all  the  world. 

TO  THE  PUPIL 

The   inspiring  story  of  Mills  is  told  by  Thomas  C.  Richards  in 
Samuel  J.  Mitts  —  Missionary,  Pathfinder,  Pioneer  and  Promoter. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  was  the  vision  which  came  to  Samuel  J.  Mills? 

2.  What  happened  at  a  Haystack  in   Williamstown  to  make  it 
famous  all  over  the  world? 

3.  How  did  the  "Brethren  "  carry  out  their  plans? 

4.  How  did  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.  begin? 

5.  Pretend  you  were  an  African  girl;   tell  what  going  to  a  mission 
school  and  learning  to  know  Jesus  would  mean  to  you. 

6.  Suppose  you  were  a  boy  in  India;    tell  about  your  adventures 
at  school  and  what  you  would  like  to  do  afterward. 

7.  Imagine  yourself  a  blind  girl  or  a  crippled  boy  at  a  hospital; 
what  would  you  tell  your  family  after  you  reached  home? 

8.  Tell  the  story  of  a  missionary  you  admire. 

9.  How  are  missionaries  helping  to  establish  democracy  and  the 
era  of  brotherhood  in  all  the  world? 

10.  How  can  a  person's  influence  reach  the  farthest  corner  of  the 
world? 


VII 
FOR  FREEDOM 

"  Isn't  it  jolly  to  be  a  mounted  soldier  in  the  service  of  the  Lord?" 

— General  Samuel  C.  Armstrong. 

Wartimes 

When  Samuel  Armstrong  was  in  college  he  said  he 
thought  he  would  become  either  a  missionary  or  a  pirate. 
Instead  he  became  a  —  but  read  the  story  and  see. 

During  one  spring  vacation  while  visiting  his  brother 
in  New  York,  he  wrote  to  his  home  in  Hawaii:  "It  is 
no  easy  thing  to  compose  oneself  at  this  time.  War  is  the 
only  thing  talked  about,  and  almost  the  only  thing  done 
is  getting  up  regiments  and  making  uniforms  for  the 
soldiers.  Thousands  wear  badges  of  one  kind  and  another 
on  their  breast,  indicating  allegiance  to  the  flag.  The 
infants  in  the  nurses'  arms  hold  in  their  tiny  hands  the 
Stars  and  Stripes,  and  small  boys  stick  little  flags  all  over 
themselves;  the  drays  and  carts  of  all  descriptions  display 
the  Union  flag,  and  in  every  imaginable  place  the  star- 
spangled  banner  is  '  flung  to  the  breeze.'  " 

Though  not  written  in  1917  it  sounds  very  mjuch  like 
those  days  just  after  the  United  States  joined  the  Allies  in 
the  Great  War  to  win  the  victory  for  democracy.  This 
was  written  in  1861,  when  there  was  going  on  in  the  United 
States,  between  two  sections  of  its  people,  a  struggle  to 
preserve  the  Union,  a  test  whether  a  nation  based  on  demo- 
cratic principles  could  endure. 

Armstrong's  letter  home  goes  on:  "I  shall  go  to  the  war 
if  I  am  needed,  but  not  till  then;  were  I  an  American  as 
I  am  a  Hawaiian,  I  should  be  off  in  a  hurry.  Next  term 


98       PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

it  will  be  hard  to  remain  at  Williamstown,  and  harder 
yet  to  study." 

So  Samuel  Armstrong  returned  to  Williamstown  and 
Williams  College,  whither  he  had  come  from  Hawaii  the 
January  before.  His  father  and  mother  were  missionaries 
of  the  American  Board  of  Hawaii,  and  Armstrong  had  been 
born  and  brought  up  there.  You  would  like  to  hear  his 
account  of  those  wonderfully  happy  days  of  his  boyhood, 
the  sailing  and  swimming  and  camping  out  and  all  the  other 
good  times,  but  that,  as  Kipling  tells  us,  is  another  story. 
Perhaps  you  will  read  it  for  yourselves.  At  any  rate, 
as  Armstrong  did  not  consider  himself  a  citizen  of  the 
United  States,  he  went  back  to  college  to  prepare  for  his 
future  work.  Just  what  that  was  going  to  be  he  did  not 
know.  Laughingly  he  said  he  would  turn  out  to  be  a 
missionary  or  a  pirate.  But  underneath  all  his  fun  there 
was  a  serious  purpose,  for  in  another  letter  we  find  him 
writing:  "  I  look  forward  with  joy  to  a  life  of  doing  good." 
He  went  on  with  his  college  duties  in  the  midst  of  all  the 
war  discussion  and  excitement.  Just  as  the  college  stu- 
dents of  1917  did,  so  did  those  of  1861.  "  I  haven't  told 
you,"  he  wrote,  "  that  the  students  are  all  drilling  in  military 
maneuvers.  Each  class  is  formed  into  a  company  and 
drills  once  or  twice  a  day  —  it's  good  fun.  We  sent  to 
Governor  Andrews  for  muskets,  but  he  won't  let  us  have 
any  at  present." 

With  the  Colors 

By  and  by,  especially  toward  the  close  of  his  senior  year, 
he  began  to  feel  the  excitement  of  the  war  more  keenly. 
General  McClellan  had  met  the  Confederates  in  two  battles, 
Fair  Oaks  on  May  31st  and  Gaines's  Mills  on  June  30th, 
and  the  Union  Army  had  been  severely  defeated.  Those 


FOR  FREEDOM  99 

of  you  who  have  studied  the  history  of  these  days  of  Civil 
War,  remember  that  General  McClellan  declared  the  rea- 
son for  his  defeat  was  lack  of  support,  and  demanded  more 
soldiers.  You  remember,  too,  that  when  President  Lincoln 
issued  his  call  for  troops,  all  over  the  country  young  men 
responded,  "  We're  coming,  Father  Abraham,  three  hun- 
dred thousand  strong."  After  graduation,  Sam  Armstrong 
was  one  of  these.  As  educated  young  men  were  much 
needed  for  officers,  he  followed  the  suggestion  made  by  a 
classmate  and  went  to  Troy,  New  York,  to  recruit.  He 
built  a  shanty  on  one  of  the  public  squares,  and  had  a  large 
sign  stuck  up,  put  posters  around,  and  began  to  enlist  men 
for  a  company  which  he  would  command  as  captain.  He 
gained  his  quota  first,  so  he  was  sworn  in  as  Senior  Captain 
of  the  125th  New  York. 

"  August  9,  1862. 

"  I  am  in  sole  charge  of  a  regiment  of  men!  The  regi- 
ment is  not  yet  completed  by  far,  but  I  am  officer  of  the 
day;  the  adjutant  and  colonel  have  left.  It  is  nine  o'clock 
P.  M.,  and  I  am  in  command.  I  am  Captain  Armstrong, 
not  yet  commissioned,  but  hope  to  be  when  my  company  is 
filled  up.  I  have  now  fifty  odd  men  —  eighty-five  is  the 
minimum.  I  am  seated  in  the  Commander's  tent;  my 
chair  rests  on  the  ground;  I  write  by  the  light  of  a  lantern. 
I  have  on  a  sword  and  sash  and  military  overcoat.  The 
tents  stretch  across  the  field  at  a  little  distance  and  look 
beautiful.  This  is  strange  enough  for  me.  I  have  secured 
my  position  by  the  fairest  means.  Such  a  life  I  never  led 
before  —  how  this  recruiting  business  lets  one  into  human 
nature  —  it  is  the  best  school  I  ever  had." 

By  the  end  of  August  they  were  off.  Armstrong  thor- 
oughly enjoyed  this  sort  of  life.  He  was  a  good  captain 


100    PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

too,  as  this  little  incident  which  his  brother  tells  shows. 
While  he  was  talking  with  him  as  they  were  camped  in 
City  Hall  Park  on  their  way  through  New  York,  one  of  his 
men  asked,  "  I  say,  Captain,  where  can  I  get  a  drink  of 
water? "  Armstrong  started  off  to  get  it.  When  his 
brother  said  he  didn't  think  it  was  very  good  military 
discipline  for  the  captain  to  be  running  round  for  water  for 
his  men,  Armstrong  answered,  "  The  men  must  have  water. 
I'm  bound  to  see  that  they  get  it."  He  shared  all  the 
difficulties  and  hardships  of  his  men.  In  a  dangerous 
place  he  thought  only  of  them  and  took  the  most  dangerous 
place  himself.  He  looked  out  for  their  comfort  in  every 
way,  finding  the  best  places  possible  for  them  to  spend  the 
night,  getting  them  hot  coffee  wherever  he  could,  and  stay- 
ing with  them  in  hard  times,  not  scooting  off  with  other 
captains  to  find  more  pleasant  quarters.  He  exacted  strict 
discipline,  but  the  men  obeyed  him  and  followed  him  loyally. 

The  Young  Captain's  Purpose 

The  first  engagement  in  which  Armstrong  and  his  men 
took  part  was  that  in  which  "  Stonewall  "  Jackson  captured 
Harper's  Ferry.  After  some  months  on  parole  he  was  back 
in  Virginia  as  part  of  the  Reserves  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac.  After  the  defeat  of  General  Burnside  at  Fred- 
ericksburg,  December  17,  there  were  anxious  times.  He 
frequently  changed  camp,  and  knew  the  discomfort  of 
cold  and  snow  and  night  marches,  as  well  as  the  pleasanter 
side  of  camp  life  with  his  comrades  round  the  campfire. 
The  constant  danger  he  faced  made  him  grow  more  serious, 
and  he  began  to  feel  more  sure  of  his  own  part  in  the  great 
struggle.  Up  to  this  time  men  had  been  fighting  to  pre- 
serve the  Union  of  the  States,  but  with  Abraham  Lincoln's 
proclamation  that  after  January  1,  1863,  all  the  negro  race 


FOR  FREEDOM  101 

should  be  freed  from  slavery,  men  fought  to  preserve  a 
union  of  states  in  which  there  was  no  slavery,  in  which 
"  all  men  were  born  free  and  equal." 

That  Christmas  Eve  of  1862,  just  before  the  Emancipa- 
tion Proclamation  was  to  have  effect,  Armstrong  sat  in 
his  tent  writing  on  an  old  box-cover  his  letter  home.  Out- 
side snow  was  falling;  men  were  busy  building  huts  and 
fires,  laughing  and  shouting  at  their  work.  "  What  to  do 
as  things  now  look  I  don't  know  —  what  am  I  fighting  for? 
But  the  first  day  of  January  is  at  hand  —  possibly  the 
greatest  day  in  American  history  —  when  the  sons  of 
Africa  shall  be  free.  To  wait  until  that  day  I  am  content 
and  then  I  shall  know  for  what  I  am  contending  —  for 
freedom  and  for  the  oppressed.  I  shall  then  be  willing  to 
go  into  the  fight,  and  you  will  feel  less  grieved  if  I  fall  for 
such  a  cause.  You  and  I  will  then  have  occasion  to  con- 
gratulate ourselves  that  our  family  is  represented  in  the 
greatest  struggle  of  modern  times  for  the  most  sacred 
principles."  That  last  sentence  has  in  it  the  spirit  of  the 
boys  of  1917. 

About  the  same  time  he  wrote  a  college  friend:  "  Chum, 
I  am  a  sort  of  abolitionist,  but  I  haven't  learned  to  love 
the  negro.  I  believe  in  universal  freedom;  I  believe  the 
whole  world  cannot  buy  a  single  soul.  The  Almighty 
has  set  or  rather  limited  the  price  of  one  man,  and  until 
worlds  can  be  paid  for  a  single  negro,  I  don't  believe  in 
selling  or  buying  them.  I  go  in  then  for  freeing  them,  more 
on  account  of  their  souls  than  their  bodies,  I  assure  you." 

Under  Fire 

Armstrong's  first  trial  of  real  warfare  was  the  Battle 
of  Gettysburg.  The  events  of  the  battle  and  its  important 
results  we  know  from  history.  Armstrong's  part  in  it  we 


102    PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

learn  from  his  letters  to  his  mother.     You  will  want  to 
hear  him  tell  about  it. 

"  Battlefield  near  Gettysburg. 

"  The  night  before  the  battle  we  lay  out  in  the  woods, 
five  miles  from  Gettysburg.  All  was  quiet,  and  as  I  was 
lying  on  my  back  in  the  open  air,  looking  up  into  the  sky 
through  the  tall  and  leafy  oak  trees,  I  wondered  what 
would  happen  on  the  morrow.  ...  I  felt  no  quaking, 
but  an  anxiety  for  my  own  future  condition  and  for  those 
who  loved  me  on  earth.  I  soon  fell  asleep  and  slept  soundly. 

"  On  the  2nd  of  July  we  were  drawn  up  between  two 
batteries  (one  Confederate,  one  Union)  and  sustained  a 
severe  cannonade,  lying  on  our  faces  in  an  orchard  — 
that  is,  most  of  us.  I  preferred  to  take  my  chance  standing 
and  watching  the  fight  and  seeing  the  skirmishers  and  sharp- 
shooters pick  each  other  off.  After  some  time,  about  five 
P.M.,  our  brigade  was  marched  off  to  the  left  center,  formed 
into  line  and  charged  into  a  valley  full  of  Rebs,  who  were 
sheltered  by  a  dense  growth  of  underbrush. 

"  As  we  advanced  with  fixed  bayonets  and  began  to  fire, 
they  yelled  out  from  among  the  trees,  '  Don't  fire  on  your 
own  men! '  We  ceased  firing,  and  the  Rebs  who  had  so 
deceived  us  gave  us  '  Hail  Columbia  '  and  dropped  some 
of  our  best  men.  Those  fellows  were  the  famous  '  Louisi- 
ana Tigers  '  —  but  we  rushed  at  them  with  fixed  bayonets, 
drove  them  out  of  the  brush  and  then  plunged  our  fire  into 
them  as  they  ran.  .  .  .  The  bullets  whistled  by  me  by 
scores,  but  I  didn't  mind  them,  though  all  the  while  per- 
fectly conscious  of  what  might  happen.  Well,  we  peppered 
away  at  them  and  charged  furiously  and  drove  them  like 
sheep.  But  we  were  ordered  to  fall  back  .  .  .  and  re- 
turned in  order  to  our  old  ground. 

"  This  was  our  first  fight  —  my  first;   a  long  and  great 


FOR  FREEDOM  103 

curiosity  was  satisfied.  Men  fell  dead  all  around  me. 
The  sergeant  who  stands  behind  me  when  in  line  was 
killed  and  heaps  were  wounded.  In  the  charge  after  the 
Rebs  I  was  pleasantly,  though  perhaps  dangerously,  situated. 
I  did  not  allow  a  man  to  get  ahead  of  me. 

"  Next  day  I  was  sent  to  the  line  of  skirmishers  with 
my  division  (two  companies).  It  was  an  ugly  place 
-  the  two  lines  lay  about  one  hundred  yards  apart, 
rather  less  in  some  places,  and  the  sharpshooters  were 
butchering  each  other  to  no  purpose  whatever.  Both 
were  crouched  down  flat  on  their  faces  behind  fences  or 
in  the  grass,  and  away  they  popped  all  the  morning; 
I  took  position  on  the  advanced  line,  lying  down  behind 
some  rails;  but  I  was  often  on  my  feet  to  give  orders, 
and  then  I  would  always  hear  bullets  whistle  over  and 
past  me.  Finally  we  were  ordered  to  charge  the  Rebel 
skirmishers.  It  was  a  foolish  order  —  a  fatal  one.  I 
led  that  charge,  if  anyone  did,  jumping  to  my  feet  and 
waving  my  sword  for  the  men  to  follow,  and  rushing 
toward  the  sharpshooters,  some  of  whom  ran  on  our 
approach,  while  others  waited  to  pick  off  a  few  of  us. 
There  were  four  captains  in  that  charge;  two  were  killed 
near  me  and  one  wounded.  I  escaped  though  I  was 
within  fifty  yards  of  the  Rebs.  We  drove  them  and 
broke  their  line,  but  they  rallied  in  great  force  and  de- 
liberately advanced.  Then  it  was  hot.  The  bullets 
flew  like  hail  over  my  head  and  it  was  not  safe  lying 
down.  Many  were  hit  near  me,  and  after  nearly  all 
our  men  had  fallen  back,  I  ran  back  to  the  former  line, 
which  we  held.  .  .  .  Finally  the  Rebels  came  out  of 
the  woods  in  three  long  lines  several  hundred  yards 
apart,  with  glittering  bayonets  and  battle  flags  flying. 
[This  was  Pickett's  charge.]  It  was  grand  to  see  those 


104    PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

masses  coming  up,  and  I  trembled  for  our  cause. 
I  rushed  to  the  skirmish  line,  saw  our  opportunity  (I 
was  then  with  the  reserves)  returned  and  assembled  the 
reserves,  and  with  the  men  and  officers  of  the  Eighth 
Ohio  Volunteers  hurried  toward  the  flank  of  the  Rebel 
lines  and  gave  them  fits.  Then  it  was  grand.  I'll 
tell  you  my  fix.  I  was  exposed  to  the  fire  of  our  own 
artillery  from  the  rear,  from  the  Rebel  batteries  in  front, 
and  from  the  musketry  of  their  line  of  battle.  Many 
around  me  were  hit,  but  Providence  spared  me,  although 
I  was  in  advance  and,  if  anybody  did,  led  that  attack. 
.  .  .  But  I  cannot  describe  the  battlefield.  ...  I  may 
say  here  to  you  that  I  have  made  what  inward  prep- 
aration I  can  for  death.  I  keep  a  little  volume  of 
Psalms  with  me  and  strive  to  act  the  soldier  of  Christ. 
Don't  be  anxious  for  me.  The  God  above  does  all  things 
well.  There  are  more  battles  to  be  fought  and  I  must 
fight.  My  sensations  in  battle  are  not  strange.  I  feel 
simply  resolved  to  do  my  best,  to  lead  my  men,  and  to 
accept  my  fate  like  a  man." 

A  Colonel  of  Colored  Troops 

This  battle  was  a  turning-point  in  history.  It  was 
also  a  crisis  in  Armstrong's  life.  The  great  battle  showed 
him  a  deeper  side  of  life.  Of  the  five  officers  in  his 
charge  on  the  Rebel  flank,  he  alone  returned.  For  what 
had  he  been  spared?  It  tested  his  will-power,  his 
ability  to  plan  and  carry  out  an  action,  and  to  control 
himself  when  in  great  danger.  He  became  more  devoted 
than  ever  to  the  cause  of  the  black  man's  freedom. 
"  There  are  more  battles  to  be  fought  and  I  must 
fight."  Before  long,  while  he  was  north  on  recruiting 
service,  the  idea  of  commanding  black  troops  took  firm 


FOR  FREEDOM  105 

hold  of  his  mind.  In  November  he  passed  the  exam- 
inations, one  of  four  out  of  the  eighty-five  who  took 
them,  which  entitled  him  to  be  a  colonel  of  colored 
troops.  He  and  the  other  officers,  in  undertaking  this 
work,  believed  in  the  negroes;  others  did  not.  They 
risked  their  reputation  as  generals  if  the  negroes  failed 
to  make  good  troops.  Besides  this,  in  battle,  as  the 
popular  way  of  wording  the  decree  of  the  Confederate 
Congress  went,  "  no  quarter  would  be  given  to  '  nigger  ' 
officers." 

On  the  last  night  which  he  spent  with  his  old  regi- 
ment he  wrote  of  his  new  work  as  follows: 

"  I  go  to  untried  scenes,  but  with  no  fear  to  meet  the 
future.  The  negro  troops  have  not  yet  entirely  proved 
themselves  good  soldiers,  but  if  the  negroes  can  be  made 
to  fight  well,  then  is  the  question  of  their  freedom 
settled. 

"  I  tell  you  the  present  is  the  grandest  time  the  world 
ever  saw.  The  African  race  is  before  the  world,  unex- 
pectedly to  all,  and  all  mankind  are  looking  to  see 
whether  the  African  will  show  himself  equal  to  the  op- 
portunity before  him.  And  what  is  the  opportunity? 
It  is  to  demonstrate  to  the  world  that  he  is  a  man, 
that  he  has  the  highest  elements  of  manhood,  courage, 
perseverance  and  honor;  that  he  is  not  only  worthy  of 
freedom,  but  able  to  win  it,  so  he  has  a  chance." 

Armstrong  was  eager  that  the  African  should  have  his 
chance.  He  knew  how  all  men  respected  heroism  and 
military  success.  He  felt  sure  that  if  the  negroes  could 
show  they  had  these  qualities  they  would  be  made  free; 
they  would  show  they  were  too  noble  for  slaves.  Nations 
would  despise  a  country  for  enslaving  men  who  had 
saved  her  own  independence.  For  these  reasons  he  con- 


106    PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

eluded,  "  I  gladly  lend  myself  to  the  experiment,  to 
this  issue.  It  will  yet  be  a  grand  thing  to  have  been 
identified  with  this  negro  movement."  In  December  he 
took  charge  of  six  companies  of  the  Ninth  Regiment 
United  States  Colored  Troops  and  ,worked  hard.  He 
insisted  on  a  high  standard  of  neatness  in  the  camp  and 
in  individual  quarters.  He  always  made  his  tent  look 
as  attractive  as  possible  and  his  men  naturally  followed 
his  example.  Trees  were  set  out  to  shade  the  company 
streets,  which  were  kept  nicely  sanded.  When  his  men 
went  to  the  hospital  he  visited  them  there.  At  Christ- 
mas the  officers  subscribed  money  to  purchase  an  ox, 
which  was  roasted  whole  for  the  regiment.  In  those 
days  there  were  no  Y.  M.  C.  A.  huts  for  the  soldiers,  so 
the  officers  organized  games  and  sports,  such  as  sack 
racing,  climbing  a  greased  pole,  a  greased  pig  chase, 
trials  of  strength  at  rope  pulling,  etc.  "  My  regiment," 
says  Armstrong,  "  won  all  the  prizes  and  had  during 
the  day  three  times  as  much  sport  as  any  other.  The 
men  said  they  had  never  had  such  a  Christmas  before. 
The  roast  ox  was  eaten  for  supper.  During  the  after- 
noon I  had  most  of  the  officers  get  horses.  Some  got 
horses,  some  got  colts,  some  got  mules,  and  I  drilled  the 
squad  at  parade  ground,  also  ran  races  and  cut  up  gen- 
erally; had  a  high  old  time. 

"  I  feel  more  in  my  element  since  being  a  mounted 
officer.  [In  Hawaii  as  a  boy  Armstrong  was  exceedingly 
fond  of  long  gallops  on  his  horse.]  I  have  got  along 
finely  with  my  regiment.  Have  the  finest  camp  in  the 
brigade,  and  the  Ninth  is  acknowledged  to  lead  the  rest. 
The  regiment  next  us  had  six  weeks'  start  of  us  and 
today  they  are  not  over  one  week  ahead  of  us  in  drill 
and  far  behind  us  in  everything  else.  We  expect  to 


FOR  FREEDOM  107 

beat  everything  around  in  everything,  and  we  are  in  a 
fair  way  to  do  it." 

Soon  after  this  a  school  was  opened  for  these  colored 
soldiers,  and  Colonel  Armstrong  was  made  president  of 
the  "  college."  "  An  old  secesh  tobacco  barn,  cleaned  out, 
ventilated,  and  illuminated  by  a  few  tallow  candles; 
well  seated  and  holds  five  hundred  men  "  —  that  was  his 
description  of  it.  The  school  was  held  two  hours  by 
day  and  two  hours  in  the  evening.  The  soldiers  groped 
after  the  very  least  bit  of  knowledge.  Most  were  only 
learning  their  letters,  but  they  made  remarkable  progress. 
"  At  such  time,"  Armstrong  wrote,  "  one  realizes  the 
curse  that  has  been  upon  them.  Slavery  makes  brutes 
of  men  and  then  refuses  to  give  them  freedom  because 
they  are  so  brutish." 

Armstrong  became  more  and  more  enthusiastic  over 
his  work.  "It  is  no  sacrifice  for  me  to  be  here;  it  is 
rather  a  glorious  opportunity,  and  I  would  be  nowhere 
else  than  here  if  I  could,  and  nothing  else  than  an 
officer  of  colored  troops  if  I  could.  ...  I  have  felt, 
and  do  feel,  like  a  very  apostle  of  human  liberty  strik- 
ing the  deadliest  possible  blow  at  oppression;  and  what 
duty  is  more  glorious  than. that?" 

A  New  Challenge 

Led  by  such  a  commander,  it  is  no  wonder  that  the 
troops  proved  themselves  all  he  hoped  they  would  be. 
The  more  he  saw  of  them  and  the  better  he  understood 
them,  the  more  he  came  to  value  their  good  qualities. 
Often  and  often  he  pondered  over  the  question  of  their 
future.  It  would  not  be  enough  to  free  their  bodies. 
He  was  fighting  to  free  their  souls.  Whining  this  war 
would  free  their  bodies,  but  if  there  were  nothing  more 


108    PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

than  this  done  for  them,  they  would  be  in  an  even 
greater  slavery.  They  had  not  learned  that  control, 
that  mastery  of  self,  which  makes  men  really  free.  Nor 
could  they  earn  their  own  livings;  they  were  apt  to  be 
lazy  and  happy-go-lucky.  They  were  ignorant.  They 
would  not  be  able  to  take  an  intelligent  part  in  the 
affairs  of  the  community,  the  state,  and  the  nation. 
They  would  still  be  slaves  to  their  own  worst  selves. 
Surely  they  deserved  a  chance.  He  had  tested  their 
courage  in  battle.  He  had  proved  their  loyalty  and 
devotion.  He  had  learned  the  strength  of  their  affec- 
tion. No  wonder  the  young  colonel  was  proud  of  their 
splendid  showing  in  an  engagement  where,  owing  to  his 
enforced  absence  in  the  hospital,  they  were  led  by 
another.  He  wrote  to  his  mother  about  it  thus:  "  My 
regiment  was  sent  alone  and  unsupported  to  attack  a 
tremendously  powerful  fort  supported  by  two  other 
strong  forts,  and  also  by  a  heavy  line  of  breastworks 
[This  was  Fort  Gilman,  one  of  the  main  defenses  of 
Richmond,  which  the  Union  armies  were  at  that  time 
besieging],  and  before  the  immense  line  was  a  very  large, 
deep  ditch  and  slashed  timber  for  over  half  a  mile, 
making  it  almost  impossible  even  to  get  to  the  enemy's 
lines.  The  Ninth  went  in  nobly,  was  raked  and  cut  to 
pieces,  and  finally  fell  back  before  a  hellish  fire  of  grape, 
canister,  shrapnel,  and  shell  from  these  forts.  To  go 
forward  would  have  been  certain  destruction.  The 
negroes  never  turned  their  backs,  but  walked  steadily 
'  into  the  mouth  of  hell '  until  the  commanding  officer 
ordered  a  retreat.  About  one-third  of  the  regiment  wa« 
hors  de  combat.  No  men  were  ever  braver  than  these 
slaves  of  Maryland.  I  was,  of  course,  absent,  but  the 
officers  of  the  regiment  were  heard,  after  they  came 


FOR  FREEDOM  109 

back,  to  curse  the  general  who  managed  them  so  badly 
and  to  '  thank  God  Colonel  Armstrong  was  not  there, 
for  if  he  had  been  there  they  would  all  have  been  in  hell 
or  in  Richmond/  They  don't  expect  to  get  the  order 
from  me  to  retreat." 

Do  you  wonder  that  the  young  soldier  longed  to  do 
something  for  men  who  had  such  capabilities  as  these?  He 
not  only  longed  to  do  it,  he  determined  to  do  it.  What 
and  how  he  could  best  help  them  was  his  question. 

For  the  Souls  of  the  Negroes 

The  colored  troops  were  not  disbanded  immediately, 
at  the  close  of  the  war.  Shortly  after,  Armstrong,  who  was 
now  a  general,  was  sent  as  commander  of  the  Eighth  United 
States  Colored  Troops  down  to  the  border  in  Texas  to  se- 
cure the  boundary  lines  during  trouble  in  Mexico.  Years 
afterwards  he  tells  that  it  was  on  this  trip  that  there  came 
to  him  the  great  plan  by  which  he  felt  sure  the  African  race 
could  be  made  really  free.  He  was  fond  of  sitting  at  sunset 
on  one  of  the  huge  paddle-boxes  watching  the  western  sky, 
delighting  in  the  gorgeous  coloring  of  sea  and  sky.  Below 
him  on  the  decks  were  the  men,  enjoying  just  now  the  music 
of  their  regimental  band,  happy  and  full  of  life,  very  much 
like  children.  As  the  nights  were  warm,  many  of  them  also 
slept  on  deck.  As  Armstrong  watched  them  one  evening 
while  the  sunset  colors  faded  and  the  stars  came  out,  he 
was  often  reminded  of  the  Hawaiians  among  whom  he  had 
grown  up  as  a  boy.  They  were  very  much  alike,  these 
two  races,  yet  the  Africans  had  a  future  ahead  of  them; 
they  were  not,  like  the  Hawaiians,  a  declining  race.  He 
thought  of  home,  too,  and  as  he  watched  the  stars  he  counted 
them,  as  he  had  done  in  childhood.  He  smiled  at  the  recol- 
lection. Then  he  had  counted  the  stars  in  quite  a  different 


110    PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

spirit,  for  he  had  been  obliged  to  continue  to  hoe  melons  or 
corn  or  summer  squash  until  he  could  count  seven  stars. 
How  he  had  hated  that  manual  labor  drill!  But  it  had 
helped  make  a  man  of  him,  and  he  knew  it  had  helped 
many  an  Hawaiian  lad  to  become  strong,  self-reliant,  and 
independent.  Then  like  a  gleam  of  light,  there  came  to  him 
the  thought:  Why  not  give  this  kind  of  training  to  the 
African  race?  Is  it  not  just  the  kind  which  will  help  to 
make  men  and  women  out  of  them?  Up  till  now  their 
drudgery  has  been  the  sign  of  their  slavery;  they  will  need 
to  learn  that  labor  is  honorable.  He  lay  there  on  the  deck 
a  long  time  that  evening,  thinking  over  this  plan.  How  to 
carry  it  out  was  now  the  question. 

When  the  negro  troops  were  mustered  out,  General 
Armstrong  had  to  decide  what  his  next  work  was  to  be. 
Many  were  his  plans.  He  was  offered  a  lieutenant-colonelcy 
in  the  First  United  States  Colored  Cavalry;  his  brothers 
suggested  business  openings;  he  himself  had  thoughts  of 
entering  the  Freedmen's  Bureau,  just  then  becoming 
prominent  in  the  work  for  the  negro.  "  There  may  be  a 
place  for  me  in  the  struggle  for  right  and  wrong  in  this 
country,"  he  thought.  "  I  have  not  given  myself  to  arms, 
although  I  have  been  one  of  the  most  fortunate  of  soldiers. 
...  I  shall  seek  some  chance  of  usefulness  where  I  can  use 
my  talents  to  the  most  advantage  and  for  the  cause  of 
humanity.  My  purpose  is  to  serve  the  Great  Master  hi 
some  way  as  well  as  I  can;  to  be  of  use  to  my  fellow  men, 
to  give  the  life  so  marvelously  spared  and  wonderfully 
blessed  to  the  source  of  all  mercy  and  blessing." 

An  Enlistment  for  Peace 

When  he  first  applied  to  the  Freedmen's  Bureau,  he  was 
told  that  there  was  no  vacancy.  So  after  visiting  friends 


FOR  FREEDOM  111 

in  Washington,  he  decided  to  return  to  New  York.  Satchel 
in  hand,  on  his  way  to  the  train,  he  called  again  at  the 
offices  of  the  Bureau,  just  to  see  if  by  chance  any  opening 
had  occurred.  As  he  opened  the  door,  he  was  greeted  with: 
"  We've  a  great  lot  of  contrabands  (negroes)  down  on  the 
Virginia  Peninsula  and  can't  manage  them;  no  one  has 
had  success  in  keeping  them  straight.  General  Howard 
thinks  you  might  try  it."  It  was  part  of  Armstrong's 
nature  to  like  to  overcome  obstacles.  This  opening  ap- 
pealed to  him  for  many  reasons.  He  accepted  a  double 
appointment,  Agent  of  the  Bureau  and  Superintendent  of 
Schools  of  a  district  in  Virginia. 

Armstrong's  post  was  at  the  village  of  Hampton,  a  few 
miles  from  Fort  Monroe.  He  said  it  was  a  glorious  field 
of  labor.  This  was  it:  "  Congregated  in  little  villages  some 
five  thousand  colored  people  crowded,  squalid,  poor  and 
idle.  It  is  my  work  to  scatter  and  renovate  them.  .  .  . 
I  have  about  a  dozen  officers  under  me,  though  I  am  a 
civilian  [he  had  received  his  discharge  from  the  Army] 
and  have  a  glorious  field  of  labor. 

"  This  place  is  historic.  A  little  above  here  is  James- 
town, in  my  district,  where  the  first  settlers  came,  and 
the  ruins  of  their  church  are  standing.  In  my  field  were 
fought  many  hard  battles,  and  some  of  my  own. 

"  This  Hampton  has  been  the  city  of  refuge  of  the  negroes 
throughout  the  war.  Here  they  came  from  all  Virginia 
to  seek  freedom,  food  and  a  home;  hither  caravans  daily 
poured  in  for  months  with  young,  old  and  helpless,  and 
here  they  built  their  little  cabins  and  did  what  they  could. 

"  Here  were  raised  several  colored  regiments,  which  took 
the  men  and  left  the  women  helpless  —  and  oh,  the  misery 
there  has  been  —  it  can  never  be  told.  But  the  worst  is 
over.  The  men  came  not  back,  since  most  were  killed, 


112    PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

disabled,  or  died,  and  here  are  their  families  in  my  charge; 
and  they  are  a  great  care;  we  issue  eighteen  thousand 
rations  a  day  to  those  who  would  die  of  starvation  were  it 
not  for  this,  and  keep  their  children  at  school,  and  get  them 
work  and  prevent  injustice.  Take  us  away  and  the  negroes 
might  as  well  all  be  hanged  at  once. 

"  Providence  seemed  to  put  me  in  just  the  place  I 
wanted. 

"  The  work  is  splendid,  and  if  God  leads  me  as  he  has 
done  I  shall  have  nothing  to  fear  —  all  will  be  well." 

Besides  the  work  of  meeting  the  needs  of  the  war  suffer- 
ers and  laying  plans  for  their  future  help,  Armstrong  took 
long  horseback  rides  out  through  the  Virginia  pine  woods 
and  tours  of  several  days  in  his  boat,  with  only  a  negro  boy 
as  helper,  for  the  purpose  of  looking  after  the  schools. 
Many  faithful  missionary  teachers  there  were,  and  many 
eager  African  pupils  too,  in  the  little  log  schoolhouses. 
The  more  he  saw  of  the  work,  the  more  firmly  he  believed 
that  the  greatest  need  of  this  newly  freed  race,  who  were  yet 
in  a  bondage  to  ignorance  and  weakness,  was  training 
in  common  morality  and  habits  of  work  and  foresight. 
"  The  North  generally  thinks  that  the  great  thing  is  to 
free  the  negro  from  his  former  owners;  the  real  thing  is 
to  save  him  from  himself."  He  agreed  with  the  former 
slaveholder  that  to  put  a  covering  of  learning  over  the 
negro  would  be  dangerous  and  foolish.  He  agreed  with 
the  Northerner  that,  as  a  human  being,  the  negro  deserved 
a  fair  chance.  He  saw  how  to  give  him  that  chance.  The 
plan  of  a  school  where  industrial  training  had  a  large  place 
formed  in  his  mind.  This  is  such  a  well  established  part  of 
our  public-school  work  today,  that  it  is  hard  for  us  to  realize 
what  a  novelty  it  was  when  Armstrong  proposed  it.  In 
the  few  schools  in  the  North  where  it  had  been  tried,  it 


FOR  FREEDOM  113 

had  not  proved  successful.     People  did  not  believe  in  this 
sort  of  school. 

An  Institute  for  the  Building  of  Men 

In  the  early  part  of  the  year  1867  he  wrote  an  important 
letter  to  the  American  Missionary  Association,  one  of  the 
Congregational  Societies,  at  the  time  the  wealthiest  or- 
ganization interested  in  helping  the  negro,  particularly  in 
educating  him.  He  suggested  that  there  at  Hampton 
was  just  the  place  to  establish  a  permanent  work,  and  recom- 
mended that  the  Association  buy  a  certain  tract  of  land  on 
Hampton  River,  a  valuable  estate.  The  Association  very 
promptly  decided  that  a  school  should  be  placed  there 
under  its  direction.  Armstrong  did  not  expect  to  have 
charge  of  it,  but  only  to  help.  However,  when  the  Associa- 
tion asked  him  to  be  its  principal,  he  said,  "  Yes.  Till 
then  my  future  had  been  blind;  it  had  only  been  clear  that 
there  was  a  work  to  be  done  for  the  ex-slave  and  where 
and  how  to  do  it." 

He  threw  himself  with  all  his  splendid  energy  into  this 
work  of  building  up  Hampton  Normal  and  Industrial 
Institute.  Armstrong's  struggles  were  not  all  over.  He 
might  have  written,  as  he  wrote  after  the  battle  of  Gettys- 
burg, "  There  are  still  battles  to  be  fought,  and  I  must 
fight."  It  was  uphill  work  raising  money  to  put  up  the 
buildings  and  make  them  ready  for  the  students,  to  provide 
support  and  tools  for  the  manual  training  work,  and  books 
for  study.  He  wanted  to  send  them  out  strong  in  the 
strength  of  Christ,  able  to  earn  their  living  by  a  trade,  and 
able  to  teach  their  fellows  how  to  help  themselves.  Before 
long  the  towers  of  the  Hampton  buildings  could  be  seen 
for  miles  around.  This  meant  more  than  the  fact  that 
there  was  here  a  normal  school  for  negroes.  These  towers 


114    PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

stood  for  the  faith  in  their  race  of  one  man  who  dared  risk 
financial  reputation  as  well  as  social  position  in  their  be- 
half. Armstrong  often  called  the  first  building  "  my 
monument."  For  the  next  twenty  years  his  story  is  that 
of  the  growth  of  the  Hampton  School.  There  was  always 
money  to  raise  to  carry  on  the  work  and  enlarge  it.  More- 
over there  was  the  harder  task  of  making  people  believe  in 
the  form  of  industrial  education  for  the  negro.  Before 
long  Indian  students  came  too.  The  story  of  Hampton 
and  Armstrong's  conquest  of  obstacles  is  fascinating. 
But  he  said,  "  Isn't  it  jolly  to  be  a  mounted  soldier  in 
the  service  of  the  Lord,"  and  kept  on?  You  will  perhaps 
some  day  find  out  for  yourselves  all  that  story. 

What  Hampton  meant  to  the  boys  and  girls  who  went 
there  is  shown  most  clearly  in  the  life  of  one  of  its  best 
known  graduates,  Booker  T.  Washington.  He  had  been 
born  a  slave.  As  a  little  boy  he  had  heard  of  this  wonderful 
school  and  walked  miles  and  miles  to  enter  it.  When  he 
died  he  was  the  president  of  a  similar  great  institution  for 
his  race,  The  Tuskegee  Institute.  Reading  his  own  story, 
Up  from  Slavery,  you  will  realize  what  Samuel  Armstrong's 
life  meant  to  him,  and  when  you  think  that  Booker  T. 
Washington  was  just  one  of  the  many  people  General  Arm- 
strong helped,  you  will  realize  how  far  and  how  deep  his 
influence  has  gone,  how  greatly  he  has  helped  to  make  the 
African  and  the  Indian  races  truly  free,  and  how  gloriously 
victorious  he  has  been  as  a  soldier  of  Jesus. 

How  Congregationalists  Carry  On 

You  will  be  glad  to  learn  that  this  great  task  of  freeing 
the  souls  of  these  races  from  ignorance  and  from  sin  is 
going  on  through  other  schools  besides  Hampton  and 
Tuskegee,  which  are  now  no  longer  partly  helped  by 


FOR  FREEDOM  115 

the  American  Missionary  Association.  Besides  them, 
there  are  many,  many  others.  Congregational  people, 
through  the  American  Missionary  Association,  have 
for  the  African  race  alone  six  colleges,  forty  preparatory 
schools,  seventeen  of  which  are  farm  schools,  and  three 
more  for  the  special  training  of  ministers.  Besides  this, 
the  Association  has  work  for  the  Indians,  and  the  Eskimos, 
the  Orientals  out  on  the  western  coast,  the  Spanish- 
speaking  people  along  the  southwestern  borders,  and  the 
Highlanders  in  the  mountains  of  the  south,  Abraham 
Lincoln's  people.  All  of  these  races  belong  to  the  United 
States,  but  need  to  be  given  freedom  in  its  very  highest 
sense,  the  freedom  which  comes  from  owning  Jesus 
Christ  as  Master  and  devoting  one's  life  to  his 
service. 

We  Congregationalists  have  yet  to  help  win  the 
victory  for  these  people  for  whom  the  American  Mis- 
sionary Association  is  working.  General  Armstrong  felt 
that  the  work  at  Hampton  was  given  him  as  a  trust 
from  the  nation.  He  felt  that  making  men  and  women 
out  of  the  individuals  of  these  backward  races  was  a 
work  which  God's  Providence  had  especially  given  to 
this  nation  to  be  done.  The  work  we  Congregation- 
alists do  through  the  American  Missionary  Association 
is  splendidly  patriotic,  both  for  our  nation  and  that  new 
era  of  world  brotherhood  which  is  to  be.  How  splendid 
are  General  Armstrong's  words:  "  It  would  be  wrong 
to  humanity  to  fail,  and  the  way  is  clear  —  God  has 
not  darkened  the  way,  but  his  hand  points  to  a 
steep  and  craggy  height;  it  must  be  climbed.  I  will 
climb  it. 

"  There  are  more  battles  to  be  fought,  and  I  must 
fight." 


116    PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

TO  THE  PUPIL 

You  will  surely  like  to  know  more  about  this  gallant  soldier  than 
this  story  tells.  Read  Samuel  Chapman  Armstrong,  by  Edith  Arm- 
strong Talbot.  Up  from  Slavery  is  a  thrilling  tale  of  progress.  You 
would  like  that,  too. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  Tell  how  Samuel  Armstrong  joined  the  colors  in  the  fight  for 
freedom. 

2.  Why  would  you  have  been  glad  to  follow  a  captain  like  him? 

3.  What  was  Samuel  Armstrong  fighting  to  win? 

4.  What  part  did  he  have  in  the  Battle  of  Gettysburg? 

5.  What  sort  of  man  does  this  battle  show  him  to  be? 

6.  Why  did  he  become  an  officer  of  colored  troops?     Why  was  this 
a  hard  thing  to  do? 

7.  How  did  he  train  his  regiment? 

8.  How  did  his  men  prove  good  soldiers? 

9.  Why  did  he  not  stop  fighting  for  the  freedom  of  the  African 
race  when  the  war  was  over? 

10.  How  did  he  carry  on  his  next  campaign  for  their  freedom? 

11.  In  what  ways  has  he  won  some  great  battles  in  this  campaign? 

12.  How  do  Congregationalists  carry  forward  this  campaign  today? 


VIII 
BROTHERS  ALL 

"  As  ye  did  it  unto  one  of  these  my  brothers,  even  these  least,  ye 
did  it  unto  me."  —  Malt.  25:  40. 

Edward's  Puzzle 

Edward  Steiner  did  not  go  to  the  service  in  the  syna- 
gogue that  Sabbath  morning.  He  ran  away,  instead,  to 
the  meadows  near  the  river  where  all  was  sunshine  and 
flowers.  It  was  more  fun  to  help  the  goose-girl  look 
after  the  goslings,  or  else  make  willow  whistles  with  the 
other  boys  and  girls  and  share  their  games.  It  was 
glorious  June.  The  creek,  the  willows,  the  flowers,  the 
birds,  the  fluffy  yellow  goslings  —  all  these  seemed  to 
welcome  him.  But  the  children,  with  yells  and  shouts 
and  brandishings  of  sticks  drove  him  back.  "  Go  off, 
little  schid!  Go  back  where  you  belong,  Christ-killer!  " 

And  Edward,  remembering  the  bloody  nose  one  of 
them  had  given  him  only  the  day  before  because  he 
would  not  bow  to  the  cross  where  hung  the  wooden 
figure  of  a  man,  turned  sadly  away.  What  did  it  all 
mean?  No  one  ever  explained  to  him,  yet  he  dimly  felt 
that  it  was  in  some  way  because  of  the  One  on  the  cross 
that  he  so  suffered  and  was  hurt.  Back  he  trudged  up 
the  hill.  He  would  have  to  go  back  to  the  dusty  cob- 
blestones of  the  village  street.  Behind  him  he  could 
hear  the  shouts  of  the  boys  at  play  in  the  sunshine  and 
flowers  of  the  river  meadows.  He  used  to  play  with 
them  once.  Why  could  he  not  now  share  with  them? 
Only  last  winter  when  one  of  his  playmates  became  a 


118    PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

helper  in  the  household  of  the  Protestant  pastor,  he  had 
assisted  him  in  the  work,  pumping  the  organ,  polishing 
the  communion  set,  or  ringing  the  bells  for  Christian 
worship  as  often  as  he.  At  the  last  Christmas  time, 
two  others  of  his  friends,  who  were  choir  boys  at  the 
Catholic  church,  invited  him  to  take  the  part  of  one  of 
the  Three  Wise  Men  who  should  travel  about  the  town 
in  search  of  the  star,  the  crib,  and  the  child.  He  had 
spent  all  his  pocket  money  for  gilt  paper  to  make  the 
crowns  and  the  star.  Well  he  remembered  the  kicks 
and  beatings  they  had  received.  But  then  Edward 
smiled  a  bit  as  he  remembered,  too,  how  kind  the  pany's 
sister  had  been  to  take  him  in,  wash  his  face  and  smooth 
his  clothes,  and  fill  his  pockets  with  nuts  and  apples 
and  sweets,  saying  as  she  kissed  him  goodbye,  "  Our 
Lord  was  once  a  little  Jewish  boy  just  like  you."  He 
paused  here  under  the  acacia  trees,  and  threw  himself 
on  the  ground  to  rest.  It  was  very  strange.  Edward 
shook  his  head  sadly.  Why  had  they  so  changed?  He 
was  just  as  ready  to  give  them  his  slices  of  rye  bread 
and  butter  as  ever  before.  Yes,  even  though  he  should 
be  punished  for  it  again.  How  his  brother  had  beaten 
him  for  giving  away  his  bread  that  day  he  had  run 
away  from  home!  Even  the  goose-girl  had  changed 
since  then,  for  that  very  day  she  and  her  friends  had 
met  him  on  the  road,  and  she  had  pulled  him  up  be- 
side her  on  the  wagon,  inviting  him  to  go  along  with 
them  to  visit  the  Mother  of  God  in  the  town  of  Maria's 
Bosom  not  far  away,  where  there  was  a  pool  of  water 
in  which  the  sick  bathed  and  were  made  well  by  the 
blessing  of  Mary  the  Virgin.  Such  crowds  of  people  as 
they  had  seen;  such  honey  cakes  in  various  forms  they 
had  to  eat!  The  goose-girl  had  bought  the  Twelve 


BROTHERS  ALL  119 

Apostles,  and  each  had  eaten  six.  Yet  he  recalled  too 
how  the  driver  had  thrown  him  off  before  they  were 
half-way  home,  and  how  his  stern  uncle  had  found  him 
on  the  road,  sobbing  and  limping  along,  and  had  brought 
him  home.  Yes,  it  was  from  this  time  that  the  dif- 
ference had  been  felt.  Next  day  it  was  that  he  had 
begun  the  study  of  Hebrew  with  his  uncle  and  been 
forbidden  to  play  with  the  Gentile  children.  It  was 
hard  to  understand. 

The  Soldier  from  America 

But  by  this  time  he  felt  rested  and  he  trudged  on  into 
the  town.  Entering  the  square  before  the  Black  Eagle 
Inn,  he  saw  the  crowds  gathered  to  greet  the  arrival 
of  the  omnibus,  that  every  day  came  from  the  world 
outside  beyond  the  high  hill,  bringing  the  news  of  the 
great  world  and  sometimes  some  passengers,  who,  worn 
and  sleepy,  had  traveled  all  night  on  this  springless 
vehicle.  He  forgot  about  his  troubles  as  he  hurried  to 
join  the  crowd,  for  it  was  great  fun  watching  the  pas- 
sengers arrive.  They  had  to  crawl  feet  first  out  of  the 
narrow  window,  which  was  also  the  only  means  of  exit. 
Already  the  clatter  of  hoofs  and  rattle  of  wheels  told  of 
its  approach.  Through  the  great  clouds  of  dust  Edward 
could  see  the  lumbering  old  omnibus  sway  from  side  to 
side  of  the  rough  road.  The  driver  lashed  his  horses 
to  one  last  attempt  at  a  gallop,  until  they  came  to  a 
stop,  steaming  with  heat,  before  the  door  of  the  Inn. 
The  driver  descended  and  threw  back  the  leather  cur- 
tains of  the  window. 

"  How  many  passengers  today?  "  called  one  of  the  crowd. 

"  Three-quarters  of  a  man/'  laughed  the  driver  in 
reply. 


120    PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

The  crowd  gasped.  Edward  almost  forgot  to  breathe 
as  he  watched  first  a  wooden  leg  appear,  then  a  real  leg 
follow  and  feel  for  the  step,  after  that  a  back  covered 
with  a  blue  coat,  loom  up,  and  finally  the  man  stand 
before  him,  three-quarters  of  a  man  to  be  sure,  for  one 
sleeve  of  the  blue  coat  hung  empty.  A  queer  looking 
soft  hat  shaded  his  face.  As  the  driver  pulled  out  a 
marvelous  brass-bound  trunk,  the  stranger  waved  his 
cane  at  the  crowd,  who  stood  gaping  at  him,  cried, 
"  Right  about,  face!  March!  "  and  hobbled  to  the  Inn. 

Edward  followed  at  his  heels  and,  when  the  man  was 
finally  seated,  stood  as  near  him  as  he  dared.  At 
length  the  stranger  noticed  Edward.  "  Why  are  you 
looking  at  me,  youngster?  "  he  said.  "  Have  you  never 
seen  three-quarters  of  a  man  before?  What's  your 
name?  "  and  he  took  a  long  pull  at  his  bottle  of  palenka, 
the  peasants'  drink.  Edward  told  him. 

"  Come  here,"  and  he  patted  Edward's  curly  fair  hair. 
"  I  am  a  Jew  myself." 

"  Oh,  no!  "  answered  Edward.  "  You  cannot  be.  No 
Jew  ever  drinks  palenka." 

"  Boy,"  he  answered,  "  I  am  three-quarters  of  a  man, 
but  not  even  one-quarter  of  a  Jew.  I  have  been  to  war, 
where  I  lost  my  arm  and  my  leg,  and  I  have  been  in 
America,  where  I  lost  my  religion."  Then  he  ordered  a 
pork  roast  for  dinner,  which  was  contrary  to  Jewish 
custom. 

Edward  stared  at  him  in  amazement.  He  had  come 
from  that  far-away  land  of  America.  Only  last  fort- 
night two  wonderful  things  had  come  from  there  to 
Edward's  home  in  that  Hungarian  town,  the  sewing- 
machine  and  the  oil  lamp.  Now  this  man  was  come 
from  Ameiica!  He'd  heard  the  teacher  tell  about  the 


BROTHERS  ALL  121 

land  across  the  great  sea  ever  and  ever  so  far:  one  day 
by  omnibus,  four  days  and  nights  by  the  railroad,  and 
then  fourteen  days  across  the  yam  (the  great  sea)  in  a 
ship  that  bobbed  about  like  a  nutshell  on  the  pottock 
(the  creek),  and  that  at  any  moment  might  spill  you  out 
to  be  eaten  by  the  fish,  which  were  especially  fond  of 
curly-headed  boys.  That's  what  the  teacher  had  told 
him  when  he'd  asked  him  how  to  go  to  America,  long 
ago,  when  he  had  been  just  a  little  boy,  and  the  parrot 
who  had  told  his  fortune  had  said  he  was  to  travel  a 
great  distance  and  marry  a  rich  wife.  He  knew!  And 
now  here  was  this  three-quarters  of  a  man  who  had 
come  back  across  the  great  yam.  He  was  a  Jew,  too, 
and  was  going  to  eat  roast  pork.  To  save  him  from 
that  sin,  to  save  even  the  one-quarter  Jew  in  him,  he  said, 

"  Come  home  with  me,  sir,  and  eat  a  good  kosher 
Sabbath  dinner." 

Edward  felt  sure  that  his  mother  would  not  object, 
especially  if  he  explained  that  he  had  saved  the  man 
from  eating  roast  pork,  and  that  he  had  come  from 
America.  Proudly  the  boy  conducted  the  Jewish  soldier 
through  the  streets  to  his  home.  Many  doors  and 
windows  were  opened,  while  many  heads  peered  out  to 
get  a  glimpse  of  the  stranger.  "  Who  was  he?  Who 
was  he?  Where  had  he  been?  " 

Edward's  Hero 

Edward's  house  became  the  center  of  interest,  for 
this  old  townsman  had  run  away  from  home  years  ago 
and  after  many  adventures  reached  America.  Here  he 
had  fought  in  the  war  to  save  the  Union,  and  when  he 
had  been  discharged,  pensioned,  he  had  come  home  to 
die.  They  brought  the  brass-bound  trunk  to  his  house 


122    PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

too,  for  Edward's  mother  kept  old  "  Uncle  Joe  "  there. 
"  No  doubt  this  holds  his  treasures,"  the  neighbors  ex- 
plained to  Edward.  Treasures  they  were,  to  be  sure! 
What  Edward  liked  best  were  the  flag  —  a  wonderful 
flag  of  red  and  white  stripes  and  white  stars  on  a  blue 
field  —  a  picture  of  a  sad-faced  man  whom  "  Uncle  Joe  " 
called  Father  Abraham,  even  though  he  was  not  a  Jew, 
and  two  books:  one  was  in  German,  the  history  of  the 
Civil  War,  and  this  Edward  soon  knew  by  heart;  the 
other  was  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin,  which  "  Uncle  Joe  " 
translated  to  him  over  and  over.  Every  day  he  heard 
about  this  land  of  freedom  from  one  who  had  been 
there,  and  soon  he  too  learned  to  love  the  flag  and 
Abraham  Lincoln,  who,  though  born  a  poor  boy  in  a 
log  cabin,  became  a  president  and  led  a  great  African 
race  out  of  slavery. 

He  longed  to  do  a  great  deed  such  as  this.  The  peasants 
in  his  country  suffered  much  and  were  heavily  taxed.  At 
school  he  gathered  together  a  group  of  boys  and  preached 
to  them  about  the  troubles  of  these  people  and  the  harshness 
of  the  government  as  they  knew  it  in  the  persons  of  the 
wicked  judge  and  the  cruel  police.  He  urged  them  to  help 
him  free  these  peasant  slaves  and,  if  need  be,  fight  for  them. 
Instead,  they  laughed  and  told  the  teacher  of  Edward's 
queer  ideas.  The  teacher  tried  to  whip  them  out  of  him. 
Then  it  was,  when  he  came  home  too  sore  to  walk,  that  he 
found  comfort  in  looking  at  Abraham  Lincoln's  face.  For 
years  he  treasured  this  picture  which  Uncle  Joe  gave  him 
at  his  death,  because  it  reminded  him  of  the  good  will  he 
longed  to  show  and  the  benefits  he  wished  to  give  to  the 
common  people  and  because  it  inspired  him  with  hope  and 
courage.  The  desire  grew  strong  within  him  to  go  to 
America  himself. 


BROTHERS  ALL  123 

At  the  Passover  Feast 

This  desire  was  made  all  the  greater  by  another  happen- 
ing of  those  days.  It  was  Passover  time,  and  Edward, 
instead  of  going  to  the  services  in  the  synagogue  with  his 
cousins  and  uncle,  had  remained  at  home  to  help  his  mother 
make  ready  for  the  Passover  feast.  After  the  windows 
were  shuttered  and  barred,  the  shining  brass  candlesticks 
were  placed  on  the  table,  the  pewter  platter  filled  with  un- 
leavened bread,  the  bitter  herbs  portioned  out,  and  all  the 
silver  goblets  made  ready  for  the  wine,  Edward  set  the  most 
beautiful  cup  of  all  at  the  place  nearest  the  door;  that  was 
for  the  Prophet  Elijah.  "  Do  you  suppose  he'll  come, 
mother?  "  he  asked  anxiously. 

"  Yes,  I  am  sure  he  will,  though  I  have  never  seen  him." 

Just  then  the  shouts  of  the  crowd  outside  grew  more 
angry  and  a  stone  crashed  against  the  shutters,  breaking 
several  panes  of  glass  in  the  windows.  Edward  was  a  bit 
afraid,  though  he  would  not  admit  it. 

"  We  shall  have  more  need  of  him  than  ever,"  his  mother 
went  on,  and  Edward  noticed  that  even  more  earnestly 
than  usual  she  said  the  prayer  as  she  lighted  the  fire  to  burn 
up  all  the  scraps  of  leaven.  Soon  came  the  uncle  and  cous- 
ins with  tales  of  stones  crashing  through  the  windows  of 
the  synagogue,  and  the  ever  increasing  anger  of  an  ever 
larger  mob.  Nevertheless  Uncle  Isaac  prepared  for  the 
solemn  service  of  prayer  and  praise  that  commemorated 
the  deliverance  of  their  people  under  the  guidance  of 
Moses  from  the  bondage  in  Egypt.  Jubilantly  he  chanted 
the  ancient  psalms,  but  more  and  more  tremblingly  did 
Edward  murmur  the  responses,  for  the  noise  and  tumult 
outside  grew  greater  and  greater,  and  the  stones  crashed 
against  the  shutters  more  often.  At  last,  just  as  it  came 
time  for  a  door  to  be  set  open  to  let  the  Prophet  Elijah 


124     PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

enter,  the  duty  which  was  Edward's,  it  seemed  as  if  the 
crowd  outside  were  making  ready  an  assault  upon  the  front 
door,  with  crowbars  prying  at  the  hinges.  Edward  felt 
cold  all  over  and  quite  unable  to  move  from  his  seat  to 
fulfil  the  task.  Just  then  a  cheery,  strong  voice  was  heard 
above  the  shouts, 

"  Hello,  good  Christians,  is  this  the  way  you  celebrate 
Easter?  Is  this  the  way  our  risen  Lord  taught  you  to 
treat  your  neighbors?  " 

There  was  a  silence.  Then  he  heard  one  reply,  "  Sir, 
they  have  stolen  away  Anushka  and  killed  her,  and  now  they 
drink  her  blood." 

"  That's  not  true,"  answered  the  voice  again.  "  Go 
to  the  Black  Eagle  Inn.  There  you  will  find  Anushka! 
Drop  that  stone,  you  youngster.  Here,  man,  lay  down  that 
crowbar.  Go  to  the  Inn  and  see  if  I  do  not  speak  truly." 

Slowly,  with  mutterings  they  within  the  house  could  not 
understand,  the  crowd  left. 

"  Open  the  door,  my  son,"  said  the  mother  in  the  quiet 
that  followed,  "  for  the  Prophet  Elijah."  Not  a  whit 
afraid  now,  Edward  quickly  sprang  to  obey.  In  walked 
a  gentle-faced  man,  at  whom  all  looked  in  amazement. 

"It  is  the  pastor,"  said  the  mother  smiling  gratefully. 
"  Be  seated,  sir." 

He  sat  down  in  the  only  empty  chair,  the  one  kept  for 
the  Prophet.  "  Drink,"  the  mother  invited.  He  raised 
to  his  lips  the  beautiful  cup,  from  which  no  mortal  had 
ever  drunk,  and  set  it  reverently  down. 

Edward  was  astonished.  He  watched  his  uncle  anxiously, 
but  evidently  he  did  not  know  what  to  do.  Here  sat  a 
Christian  pastor  in  the  seat  sacred  to  the  Prophet!  He 
had  drunk  from  the  Prophet's  cup. 

Then  the  pastor,  rising,  explained  what  had  brought 


BROTHERS  ALL  125 

him,  and  how  he  had  tried  to  prevent  the  people  from 
gathering,  and  how  he  had  searched  long  and  at  last  found 
the  girl  whose  sudden  running  away  had  caused  all  the 
trouble.  "  You  know,"  he  said,  "  our  religion  does  not 
teach  hatred  of  the  Jews." 

"  But  there  is  hate,"  gasped  Uncle  Isaac.  "  They  are 
ready  to  kill  us." 

"  That  may  be  true,  Isaac  Bolsover,"  replied  the  gentle 
man.  "  Yet  I  have  faced  a  dozen  mobs  today  to  save 
your  people  because  a  Prophet  greater  than  Elijah  has 
taught  me  to  love  my  neighbors  and  even  my  enemies. 
I  am  here  tonight  because  I  have  tried  to  obey  that  com- 
mand. Some  day  all  men  will  obey  that  command,  too." 

"  You  did  that!  You  did  that  for  our  sakes!  "  exclaimed 
the  uncle.  "  Then,  sir,  be  seated." 

"  Again  the  pastor  took  the  chair  of  the  Prophet.  Yet 
when  Uncle  Isaac's  eye  fell  upon  the  cup  of  the  Prophet, 
his  face  looked  troubled.  "  But,  your  reverence,"  he 
said,  "  you  have  drunk  out  of  the  cup  of  the  Prophet." 

The  pastor  smiled.  "  At  every  Passover  celebration  in 
my  church,"  he  answered,  "  I  drink  out  of  a  cup  made 
sacred  by  one  greater  than  your  Prophet  Elijah,  one  who 
gave  his  life  that  there  should  be  no  hate  among  God's 
children.  Some  day  I  hope  we  shall  both  drink  out  of  the 
same  cup  in  the  kingdom  of  God." 

While  all  this  was  going  on,  Edward  sat  very  still, 
with  wide-open  eyes  watching  this  man  who  spoke  such 
kindly  words.  He  wanted  to  ask  him  questions,  yet  his 
uncle  went  on.  "  The  kingdom  of  God!  Sir,  what  mean 
you  by  that?" 

"  I  mean,"  returned  the  pastor,  "  that  a  day  will  come 
when  there  shall  be  no  barriers  between  men;  when  the 
strong  shall  care  for  the  weak,  and  the  rich  serve  the  poor, 


126    PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

and  all  men  shall  delight  to  do  the  will  of  God,  when  nation 
shall  not  lift  up  sword  against  nation,  '  neither  shall  they 
learn  war  any  more.' ' 

The  Promised  Nation  of  Brotherhood 

"  Ah,  you  quote  our  prophet  Isaiah,"  exclaimed  Uncle 
Isaac.  "  Do  you  know  what  our  rabbis  say  is  tht  reason 
this  great  day  has  not  come?  I  will  tell  you."  And  Uncle 
Isaac  began  the  tale  which  Edward  had  listened  to  many 
times  before,  how  the  Lord  God  summoned  all  the  nations 
to  appear  before  him  so  that  the  nation  which  was  worthiest 
might  receive  the  reward  and  lead  the  nations  of  the  world 
so  that  they  might  become  one.  First  came  the  Assyrians, 
but  the  Lord  God  refused  the  reward  to  them  because  they 
had  broken  other  nations  to  exult  in  their  own  strength. 
After  them  followed  the  Romans,  but  though  they  had 
built  great  cities  and  heaped  up  much  silver  and  gold,  they 
had  done  it  for  the  sake  of  their  own  pleasure  and  riches. 
The  Greeks,  too,  were  turned  away,  in  spite  of  the  treasures 
of  wisdom  and  beauty  they  had  gathered,  for  they  too, 
had  not  been  mindful  of  God.  So  the  Lord  God  could 
not  find  one  nation  which  had  done  anything  to  fulfil  the 
law  of  God.  "  And,"  his  uncle  concluded,  "  those  words 
of  the  Prophet  shall  not  be  fulfilled  until  a  nation  does 
come  which  will  live  to  do  his  will,  and  obey  his  law;  which 
will  build  cities  for  his  glory,  and  bridges  in  order  to  serve 
him  better;  and  which,  if  it  goes  to  war,  will  go  to  set  free 
those  that  are  oppressed."  To  Edward's  great  astonish- 
ment, and  joy  too,  the  pastor  replied, 

"  Oh,  but  there  is  such  a  nation  —  just  one.  It  has 
fought  a  war  to  set  free  the  slaves."  (Here  Edward's 
heart  gave  a  great  leap  as  he  remembered  "  Uncle  Joe's  " 
stories  of  Abraham  Lincoln;  he  was  sure  of  what  the  pastor 


BROTHERS  ALL  127 

would  say  next.)  "  It  is  America!  Though  it  is  far  away 
and  you  do  not  know  much  about  it,  I  am  sure  it  will  be 
the  nation  to  lead  the  other  nations  of  the  world  into 
brotherhood.  But  now,  good-night.  May  your  Passover 
be  peaceful!  Remember  that  the  Prophet's  word  shall  be 
fulfilled."  With  that  he  was  gone. 

Edward  hardly  recalled  what  happened  next.  He  was 
so  very  busy  thinking  of  what  the  pastor  had  just  said,  and 
putting  together  this  with  all  he  had  learned  about  Abraham 
Lincoln.  "  To  lead  the  nations  of  the  world  to  brother- 
hood." That's  what  he  had  said.  That's  what  he  wanted 
to  have  a  share  in  doing.  Oh,  he  must  go  to  America  and 
share  their  task. 

Toward  the  New  Land 

With  this  great  desire  in  his  heart  and  mind,  it  is  not 
strange,  is  it,  that  Edward  tried  to  run  away,  to  attempt 
to  reach  America?  Once  he  ran  after  the  omnibus  which 
carried  back  to  that  wonderful  land  a  family  who  had  come 
home  from  America  for  a  visit.  He  clung  to  the  steps  of 
the  omnibus,  begging  to  be  taken  too.  Yet  when  it  reached 
the  toll-gate,  back  he  had  to  go.  On  another  occasion,  with 
a  poor  half-witted  boy,  he  succeeded  in  getting  as  far  away 
as  the  railroad.  But  there  they  were  thrown  into  jail  with 
gypsies  and  thieves  and  tramps,  and  there  they  were  found 
by  Edward's  older  brother  and  carried  home  in  disgrace. 

Finally,  however,  after  several  years,  Edward  Steiner 
did  go  to  America,  and  did  carry  out  his  task  of  expressing 
brotherliness  and  helping  weak  and  discouraged  and  op- 
pressed people.  This  is  how  his  going  came  about.  It 
happened  while  Edward  was  a  student  in  the  University. 
He  had  never  outgrown  his  desire  to  help  the  people  who 
were  in  trouble.  He  felt  particularly  the  wrongs  done 


128    PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

to  the  Slavic  people  with  whom,  as  a  boy,  he  had  played. 
He  could  not  bear  to  see  them  beaten  and  imprisoned  and 
insulted  by  the  ruling  class.  Perhaps  he  spoke  too  freely 
of  their  wrongs  and  the  evils  of  the  government.  At  all 
events,  one  vacation  when  Edward  was  at  home,  an  official 
told  his  mother  that  if  she  paid  him  a  sum  of  money  he 
could  keep  the  boy  from  being  punished.  He  advised  her 
to  have  him  leave  the  country.  So  hurriedly  and  secretly 
Edward  made  ready  to  go  to  America,  and  almost  before 
he  knew  it  he  was  on  board  a  ship  that  did  indeed  behave 
like  a  nutshell  on  the  creek.  It  made  him  a  very  miserable 
boy  indeed,  down  there  in  the  steerage,  for  he  was  both 
seasick  and  homesick. 

A  Stranger  Within  the  Gates 

On  reaching  New  York  there  began  a  wonderfully  in- 
teresting life  for  Edward  Steiner.  Imagine  all  he  thought 
and  felt  when  he  saw  the  Statue  of  Liberty  enlightening  the 
world  as  he  sailed  into  New  York  harbor.  What  hope  for 
the  new  days  of  brotherhood  did  he  feel,  as  he  stepped 
forth  into  the  great  city,  hearing  all  about  him  the  clamor 
of  a  language  he  did  not  understand.  He  spent  five  cents 
of  his  small  amount  of  money  for  a  banana  and  ate  it,  skin 
and  all.  One  of  the  many  men  gathered  at  the  landing- 
place  secured  him  and  led  him  away  in  triumph  to  a  board- 
ing house.  He  also  introduced  him  to  a  place  called  saloon. 
When  Edward  discovered  what  this  was,  he  wanted  to 
retreat.  He  wandered  up  and  down  Broadway  after  din- 
ner, looking  for  work,  followed  by  many  a  small  boy,  who 
called  after  him,  "  Greenhorn! "  Edward  soon  learned 
what  that  meant.  That  was  the  second  English  word  he 
learned.  When  he  had  paid  for  his  supper  that  night 
and  for  his  night's  lodging,  he  had  not  a  cent  left.  Next 


BROTHERS  ALL  129 

day  he  had  nothing  to  eat  except  water:  that,  fortunately 
for  him,  was  free.  Up  and  down  the  streets  he  walked, 
looking  for  work.  Bartenders,  barbers,  bakers,  butchers, 
too,  and  clothing-cutters  were  all  in  demand,  but  there 
seemed  to  be  no  place  for  a  university  man  who  had  special 
skill  in  languages.  As  night  came  on,  he  recalled  that  his 
mother  had  given  him  an  address  of  a  distant  relative  who, 
years  ago,  had  come  to  New  York.  Although  it  was  over 
eighty  blocks  away,  he  walked  the  whole  distance.  He  was 
cordially  welcomed. 

The  First  Job 

Another  day  he  passed  in  looking  for  work,  again 
without  success.  The  only  opening  he  could  find  was 
in  the  cloak  trade  —  the  refuge  of  all  those  who  are 
unfit  for  harder  tasks  —  so  next  day  this  college-trained 
lad  went  to  work  in  a  sweatshop  as  a  presser  of  cloaks. 
Before  noon  the  iron  seemed  to  him  to  weigh  a  ton,  and 
the  hour  allowed  them  for  lunch  ended  much  too  quickly. 
With  ten  cents  from  some  money  borrowed  for  use  that 
first  week,  he  set  out  to  buy  his  meal.  The  mysterious 
word  "  sandwich "  attracted  his  eye,  but  the  article 
proved  to  be  a  great  disappointment  —  only  two  pieces 
of  bread  and  butter  with  a  slice  of  cheese  between. 
That  afternoon  he  scorched  the  hem  of  a  garment,  and 
earned  a  scolding  from  the  Irish  forelady.  Though  he 
could  not  understand  a  word  she  said,  he  could  not  fail 
to  understand  her  gestures  or  her  look.  Homesick  and 
miserably  weary  he  felt  that  night.  The  same  friends 
who  had  aided  him  to  secure  work,  now  arranged  for 
him  to  attend  night  school  and  learn  English  —  for  he 
then  knew  the  following  words:  down-town,  up-town, 
mirror,  boss,  knock-out  drops,  banana,  elevated,  figure 


130    PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

cloak,  presser,  mince  pie,  sandwich,  saloon,  greenhorn, 
and  forelady.  Within  the  first  week  he  was  enrolled  as 
a  student  in  Cooper  Union.  After  class  he  walked  home 
with  some  men  who  had  acquired  other  English  out  of 
school,  and  taught  it  to  him.  One  disastrous  day  all 
innocently  he  used  this  in  a  conversation  with  his  Irish 
forelady  and,  as  a  result,  he  found  himself  without  his 
job.  Again  there  was  a  hunt  for  work,  and  again 
friends  were  kind;  this  time  he  worked  as  a  cutter. 
Though  he  labored  ten  hours  a  day,  he  went  regularly 
to  night  school.  Soon  he  had  learned  enough  English 
to  read  David  Copperfield,  which  he  drew  from  the 
Public  Library.  At  the  end  of  a  month  disaster  fell 
again.  He  was  "  laid  off/'  for  it  was  "  slack  time." 
There  was  nothing  to  do  but  to  walk  the  streets  and 
hunt  for  work.  He  tried  it  in  a  baker's  shop  and  in  a 
sausage  factory,  but  he  earned  hardly  enough  to  keep 
alive.  At  last  he  determined  to  go  West.  Accordingly, 
he  set  out  across  the  ferry  to  New  Jersey,  bought  a 
ticket  as  far  west  as  his  money  would  carry  him,  and 
arrived  that  night  at  —  Princeton,  N.  J. 

A  Quiet  Home 

For  a  time  he  worked  for  a  farmer  near  there;  then 
he  walked  on  to  Philadelphia,  where  he  again  spent  all 
his  money  for  a  ticket  westward.  This  time  he  was 
carried  to  a  lonely  little  spot  in  the  heart  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. Here  a  simple,  friendly  farmer  sheltered  and  fed 
him.  In  this  beautiful  Christian  home  he  lived  and 
worked  until  autumn  came,  seeing  daily  the  power  of 
Christ  to  beautify  and  raise  their  lives.  Yet  on  Edward 
Steiner  felt  he  must  go;  this  time  he  reached  Pitts- 
burg. 


BROTHERS  ALL  131 

In  the  Steel  Mills 

It  was  not  difficult  to  find  work  in  the  steel  mills, 
and  soon  he  was  pushing  a  chaldron  of  molten  iron  from 
a  room  out  to  a  shed.  After  ten  hours  of  this,  however, 
he  was  too  exhausted  to  do  anything  but  sleep,  although 
his  mind  and  heart  were  still  hungry  for  better  things, 
and  he  knew  within  him  that  he  must  climb  out  of  the 
pit.  Worse  than  this  weariness,  however,  was  the  fact 
that  he  had  to  live,  one  of  twenty,  in  two  stuffy,  unaired 
rooms,  without  any  conveniences  at  all,  for  the  workers 
in  the  factories  were  regarded  as  "  cattle,"  unused  to 
any  other  kind  of  living  and  not  desiring  a  change. 
Sundays  he  had  to  work  sometimes,  but  more  often  he 
was  too  exhausted  to  do  more  than  write  a  letter  home. 
At  last  his  work  there  was  ended  by  a  flood  that  tem- 
porarily closed  the  mill.  To  add  to  this  distress,  dis- 
ease and  pestilence  followed. 

In  the  Coal  Mines 

From  Pittsburg  he  went  on  to  Connelsville  to  work 
in  the  coal  mines,  walking  all  the  way  along  the  rail- 
road tracks.  A  miner  engaged  him  as  helper.  It  was 
a  dark,  black  world  into  which  he  descended,  this  world 
of  the  coal  mine,  full  of  toiling  men  and  mules.  There 
he  shoveled  coal  into  numerous  cars  which  came  and 
went  in  rapid  succession  until  at  last  they  ascended 
from  the  darkness  of  the  mine  to  the  night 'above.  Then 
his  boss  escorted  him  to  a  saloon,  where  with  several 
of  his  friends,  he  drank  Edward's  health  —  at  his  ex- 
pense. All  along  the  street  that  led  to  his  lodging  he 
passed  saloon  after  saloon.  How  he  hated  them!  The 
street  was  filled  with  half -drunk  men  and  women,  none 
who  could  be  to  him  a  real  friend.  For  a  week  he  kept 


132     PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

at  this  work,  although  each  succeeding  day  it  became 
more  difficult  to  reach  the  mine.  Men  who  spoke 
English  tried  to  keep  them  back,  for  there  was  a 
"  strike."  One  day  as  they  reached  the  top  of  the 
mine,  lumps  of  coal  were  hurled  at  them  and  they  had 
to  run  for  their  lives.  Next  day,  before  they  could  reach 
the  mine,  they  were  surrounded  by  men  armed  with 
sticks  and  guns.  Edward  tried  to  take  shelter  behind 
a  water  tank,  but  a  crowd  of  men  seized  him  and  beat 
him  until  he  knew  no  more. 

Unjust  Imprisonment 

When  he  came  to  himself  he  found  that  he  was  in 
jail,  for  what  offense  he  did  not  know.  For  six  weeks 
there  he  stayed,  enduring  various  small  tortures,  without 
a  hearing  and  without  knowing  why  he  was  kept  there. 
Then  he  was  taken  before  the  judge.  At  first  he  was 
charged  with  shooting  to  kill.  Edward  protested  his 
innocence  in  the  best  English  he  could.  Yet  the  officers 
had  found  upon  him  a  revolver.  Ah!  He  remembered. 
That  had  been  given  him  by  one  of  those  mates  of  his 
in  the  Pittsburg  boarding  house,  one  of  those  who  had 
died  there  of  smallpox.  He  told  them  about  it.  Then, 
when  the  revolver  was  discovered  to  be  too  rusty  for  use, 
the  charge  was  changed  to  "  carrying  concealed  weapons." 
He  was  sentenced  to  a  fine  of  one  hundred  dollars  and 
three  months  in  jail.  Within  ten  minutes  he  was  re- 
turned to  his  quarters.  It  is  no  wonder  that  he  burned 
with  a  fierce  sense  of  injustice.  Was  this  the  land  of 
Abraham  Lincoln,  the  nation  which  would  lead  the 
nations  of  the  world  to  brotherhood?  For  over  six 
months  he  had  to  remain  in  jail,  for  his  fine  had  to  be 
worked  out.  No  one  came  to  explain  or  to  help  him. 


BROTHERS  ALL  133 

Such  unjust  treatment  has  often  made  anarchists. 
Fortunately  it  did  not  result  so  in  this  case.  On  the 
contrary,  Edward  Steiner  left  that  county  jail  with  a 
more  intense  desire  than  before  to  right  the  wrongs 
against  the  spirit  of  brotherhood  under  which  men  suffer. 

Wandering  in  Search  of  Work 

He  now  became  a  tramp,  not  because  he  chose  to  be, 
but  because  he  desired  to  reach  Chicago,  and  that  was 
the  only  way  to  get  there.  On  his  way  he  occasionally 
was  taken  into  the  homes  of  really  Christian  people, 
who  welcomed  him  to  their  family  prayers  and  tried  to 
help  him  by  word  and  deed.  At  last  he  reached  the 
great  city.  While  he  was  studying  out  the  posters  of 
various  labor  agencies,  a  man  stopped  him,  spoke  of  an 
attractive  situation,  and  invited  him  into  the  saloon 
to  talk  it  over.  Eager  for  work,  Edward  quickly  fol- 
lowed him  in,  but  as  he  accepted  the  invitation  to  step 
in  front  of  the  bar,  he  felt  something  give  way  beneath 
him  and  he  was  hurled  into  darkness.  Late  at  night, 
he  felt  himself  dragged  out  into  the  alley  and  left.  He 
called  feebly  for  help,  but  no  one  answered.  After  a 
long  time  he  summoned  all  the  strength  he  possessed 
and  crawled  on  hands  and  knees  back  to  the  street. 
As  he  staggered  to  his  feet,  a  policeman  caught  him  by 
the  collar  and  dragged  him  to  the  lamp-post.  Before 
Edward  realized  it,  he  was  roughly  pushed  into  the 
patrol  wagon  that  carried  him  to  the  police  station. 
There  he  spent  a  horrible  night  among  men  who  cursed 
and  fought  for  space  enough  to  stretch  out  in  for  sleep. 
After  this  experience,  he  drifted  into  that  section  of  the 
city  where  the  comers  from  Bohemia  had  gathered.  He 
knew  their  language  and  was  soon  at  home  and  at  work 


134     PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

among  them.  A  year  of  "  hard  times  "  it  proved  to  be. 
Even  temporary  occupations  failed  him  at  last,  and  he 
set  forth  for  the  farm  lands  of  Minnesota,  walking  the 
railroad  tracks  to  the  city  limits,  then  "  jumping  a 
freight."  Crossing  the  Mississippi  on  the  trestle,  he 
and  his  companion  were  caught  by  a  train.  Only  the 
foaming  river  was  below  them,  so  they  squeezed  through 
the  ties,  and  clung  desperately  to  the  beam  while  the 
train  thundered  overhead. 

A  Harvest  Hand 

Finally  Edward  was  hired  as  a  harvest  hand.  Here  he 
was  most  fortunate,  for  it  was  a  friendly  Christian 
household,  and  in  their  play  as  well  as  in  their  work, 
he  had  a  share.  At  evening,  too,  he  shared  the  worship 
in  family  prayers;  the  hymn,  the  prayer  and  the  reading 
from  the  English  Bible  impressed  him  deeply.  It  was 
one  of  those  homes  which  had  carried  out  to  the  West 
the  ideals  of  the  Puritans  and  the  Pilgrims,  and  the 
beauty  and  dignity  of  it  made  a  great  impression  on  this 
Jewish  lad  from  far  away  Hungary.  Here  was  that 
brotherly  life  for  which  he  had  longed.  He  planned  a 
future  for  himself  on  a  farm  with  a  home  such  as  this. 
Now  he  was  quite  ready  to  forget  the  sufferings,  the 
injustice,  the  hunger,  the  sweatshop,  the  steel  mill,  the 
mine,  and  the  jail.  He  had  not  found  much  brother- 
liness  in  these.  But  this  was  not  to  be.  When  frosts 
came,  the  year's  work  was  done.  His  wages  were  given 
him,  and  he  was  again  homeless  and  in  search  of  work. 

A  Transforming  Discovery 

These  were  some  of  Edward  Steiner's  first  experiences 
in  America.  It  would  take  too  long  to  recount  all  of 


BROTHERS  ALL  135 

his  many  adventures  and  the  steps  by  which  he  was  at 
last  led  to  go  back  East.  Starting  for  a  Jewish  Theo- 
logical Seminary  to  become  a  rabbi,  he  entered  at  last 
the  Christian  Theological  Seminary  in  Oberlin  and  be- 
came a  Congregational  minister.  To  reach  the  Jewish 
Seminary,  he  worked  his  passage  by  traveling  on  a 
cattle  train.  One  night,  in  running  along  the  top  of  the 
train  to  his  cars,  a  fellow  worker  tripped  him  up,  causing 
him  to  fall  overboard  with  a  twisted  leg.  This  changed 
his  plans.  In  the  town  where  he  then  found  refuge  he 
was  well  cared  for.  Here  he  came  in  contact  with  more 
Christian  homes,  as  well  as  with  Jewish,  for  the  Jews 
and  Christians  lived  on  brotherly  terms  and  not  on  such 
terms  as  they  had  lived  in  his  boyhood  home  in  Hun- 
gary. He  went  quite  frequently  to  the  Christian  church, 
for  a  warm  friendship  grew  between  him  and  the  pastor 
and  his  wife.  In  their  lives,  as  in  the  lives  of  others, 
he  saw  Christ  walking  among  men,  and  began  to  feel 
his  power.  "  If  lives  like  these  were  projected  into  the 
world  of  strife  and  injustice,  would  they  not  accomplish 
more  than  those  which  hurl  back  the  hate  with  which 
they  have  been  pelted?  "  This  was  his  question.  At  last 
he  decided  to  follow  Him  who  was  the  champion  of  the 
weak,  the  oppressed,  and  the  outcast,  who  was  the 
loving  Brother  of  all  men,  whatever  might  be  their  race. 
Under  His  leadership  he  would  strive  to  be  a  brother  to  all. 
It  will  not  surprise  you  to  learn  that  during  Dr.  Steiner's 
work  as  a  Congregational  pastor,  he  took  special  interest 
in  those  who,  like  himself,  had  come  and  were  coming 
from  other  lands  to  America;  or  that  now,  while  he  is 
Professor  of  Applied  Christianity  in  Grinnell  College,  Iowa, 
he  still  does  all  he  can  to  express  his  brotherly  love  and 
interest  for  them.  He  longs  that  these  newcomers,  what- 


136    PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

ever  may  have  been  the  gleam  they  have  followed  in  coming 
to  America,  may  have  a  fair  chance  to  become  their  best. 
He  has  striven  earnestly  to  change  the  evil  conditions  which 
surrounded  them  in  sweatshop,  mill,  and  mine;  to  have 
near  them,  instead  of  the  saloon  and  brothel,  friendly 
forces  by  which  they  may  be  lifted  up;  and  to  let  them 
learn  the  real  brotherliness  of  America,  instead  of  injustice 
and  cruelty.  In  this  way,  you  see,  he  is  making  real  the 
ideal  which  long  ago  shone  before  him  in  Hungary  in  the 
life-story  of  Abraham  Lincoln ;  he  is  endeavoring  to  lead  to 
freedom  the  oppressed  races,  to  show  that  in  fellowship 
with  Jesus  Christ  and  service  for  him  is  the  true  democracy 
and  internationalism,  for  which  today  men  have  given  their 
lives  on  the  battlefields  of  Europe. 

Isn't  the  story  of  this  one  man's  life  inspiring!  Yet,  as 
he  says  himself,  his  story  does  not  differ  from  that  of  many 
others.  All  the  influences  for  good  or  for  evil  which  sur- 
rounded him,  the  sweatshop,  the  mills,  the  mines,  the  lower 
courts,  the  jails,  the  unemployment,  the  tramp  life,  the 
American  home,  the  Christian  church  —  these  surround 
all  the  others,  for  what  happened  to  him  has  happened, 
is  happening,  to  some  and  ought  to  happen  to  others. 
While  there  are  many  who  are  helped,  there  are  millions 
who  never  are  reached,  who  are  made  brutal  by  their  hard, 
grinding  work,  and  who  are  starved  for  lack  of  friendly 
sympathy.  Countless  ones  die,  not  knowing  the  brotherly 
America  that  Edward  Steiner  found. 

Our  Welcome  to  Our  Later  Pilgrims 

Our  Congregational  Home  Missionary  Society  carries 
on  work  in  twenty-three  different  foreign  languages,  so 
that  even  before  the  newcomer  can  understand  English, 
he  can  hear  the  message  of  Jesus.  At  the  very  gateway 


BROTHERS  ALL  137 

to  America  where  these  later  pilgrims  land,  friendly  folk 
who  speak  their  own  language  help  smooth  out  all  per- 
plexities and  give  them  brotherly  welcome.  Through  this 
society  in  the  cities  there  are  settlements  where  clubs  and 
classes  give  the  young  people  and  the  boys  and  girls  a 
chance  to  learn  American  ways  and  American  ideas  and 
ideals,  and  make  real  friends.  In  the  country  districts, 
where  now-a-days  many  modern  pilgrims  from  foreign  lands 
find  their  way  to  the  farms,  there  are  home  missionaries  at 
work.  Out  into  the  frontiers,  just  like  those  to  which 
the  "  Iowa  Band  "  went,  are  going  men  and  women  to  do 
the  same  sort  of  work  in  the  same  spirit.  The  Congrega- 
tional Home  Missionary  Society  was  founded  long  ago  by 
men  who  saw  that  the  real  greatness  of  this  nation  would 
depend  upon  its  greatness  of  character  and  the  nobility  of 
its  ideals.  They  knew  this  greatness  of  character  could 
be  developed  only  in  the  sincere  following  of  Jesus  and 
carrying  out  his  ideals  for  the  world.  They  labored  to 
make  their  dreams  come  true,  and  so  men  since  their  time 
have  "  carried  on."  In  all  its  work  today,  the  Home 
Missionary  Society  seeks  to  do  for  all  these  people  what  we 
see  was  done  for  Edward  Steiner.  Now  in  a  special  sense 
it  is  more  necessary  than  ever  that  this  work  be  done. 
America  must  become  really  Christian,  if  she  is  to  lead  the 
nations  of  the  world  into  a  true  brotherhood.  It  is  for  us  to 
take  up  their  work  and  "  carry  on!  " 

TO  THE  PUPIL 

Read  Dr.  Edward  A.  Steiner's  own  story  of  his  experiences,  if 
you  wish  to  know  more  about  his  boyhood.  These  books  are 
Against  the  Current  and  From  Alien  to  Citizen.  From  them  this 
story  of  his  life  has  been  taken.  Two  other  books  which  will  help 
you  understand  our  brothers  from  foreign  lands  are  The  Making  of 
an  American,  by  Jacob  Riis,  and  The  Promised  Land,  by  Mary  Antin. 


138    PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

QUESTIONS 

1.  How  did  Edward  Steiner  first  learn  about  America? 

2.  Why  did  Lincoln  become  his  hero? 

3.  What  other  event  made  him  eager  to  go  to  America? 

4.  How  did  he  finally  set  out? 

5.  Tell  about  his  first  days  in  New  York. 

6.  Relate  his  adventures  in  sweatshop,  mill,  mine,  and  jail. 

7.  Is  this  the  real  America  which  Edward  Steiner  saw? 

8.  What  knowledge  of  Christian  people  did  he  have? 

9.  How  did  he  find  true  brotherliness? 

10.  How  does  he  serve  Jesus  today? 

11.  Why  is  Dr.  Steiner's  story  important? 

12.  What  makes  being  brothers  to  foreigners  hard  work? 

13.  How  do  Congregationalists  express  the  best  of  America  to  the 
newcomers  and  others? 

14.  How  do  you  think  the  C.  H.  M.  S.  helps  the  cause  of  democ- 
racy and  the  era  of  brotherhood? 


IX 
CARRY  ON 

"  What  are  Christians  put  in  this  world  for,  but  to  do  the  impos- 
sible in  the  strength  of  God!  " 

— General  Samuel  C.  Armstrong. 

On  the  Hilltop 

All  of  us,  at  some  time  or  other,  have  stood  on  the  top 
of  a  hill.  Do  you  remember  how  the  long  climb  up  from 
the  valley  beneath  looked?  Ahead  of  you  lay  another 
valley  to  explore,  and  beyond  that  were  more  hills  to 
climb.  Let  us  stand  on  such  a  hilltop  and  look  back. 
Let  us  see  how  each  one  of  these  Congregational  heroes 
has  helped  to  advance  the  cause  which  is  so  near  our  hearts 
today  —  the  progress  of  brotherhood  in  the  world.  Then 
let  us  look  at  the  valley  just  below  us  and  catch  a  glimpse 
of  the  higher  mountains  which  lie  beyond  the  valley  and  the 
mountains  where  lie  our  adventure. 

The  Beginning  of  the  Journey 

Away  off  in  the  distance  more  than  five  hundred  years 
ago  there  were  John  Wyclif  and  the  Lollards,  who,  as  they 
studied  the  life  of  Jesus  and  his  first  followers,  saw  that 
certain  ways  of  life  in  their  own  day  were  wrong.  They 
refused  to  call  the  Pope  and  his  representatives  their  mas- 
ters. They  resolved  to  obey  Jesus  and  call  only  him  their 
Lord.  In  spite  of  suffering  they  followed  the  gleam.  As 
their  influence  spread,  you  remember,  and  as  more  people 
through  the  pages  of  the  printed  Bible  saw  the  gleam  that 
they  had  followed,  there  came  to  be  the  body  of  people 


140    PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

known  as  Puritans,  because  they  wished  to  purify  the 
Church  of  England  of  those  customs  and  beliefs  which  they 
considered  not  in  keeping  with  the  commands  of  Jesus. 
Like  the  Lollards,  they  too  refused  to  believe  that  any 
human  being,  whether  the  Pope  or  the  king  of  the  country, 
had  the  right  to  say  how  an  individual  person  should  obey 
God.  The  Bible  told  them  how  to  do  this,  and  Jesus  was 
their  Master.  Yet  some  Puritans  went  even  further 
than  this.  These  were  the  Separatists,  who  determined  that 
it  was  right  to  leave  the  Church  of  England  and  organize 
a  church  more  like  that  of  the  first  followers  of  Jesus. 

Pilgrims  and  Puritans 

William  Bradford  and  the  other  members  of  the  church 
at  Scrooby,  which  became  the  first  Congregational  Church 
in  America,  belonged  to  this  group  of  Separatists.  We 
learned  from  William  Bradford's  own  account  all  that 
their  loyalty  to  their  principles  cost  them  in  personal 
suffering,  hardship,  sacrifice,  and  life.  We  were  thrilled 
at  their  daring,  their  patience,  their  persistence,  their 
heroism.  When  we  remember  all  it  cost  them  and  the 
many  others  like  them  whose  stories  have  not  been  told, 
we  place  greater  value  on  our  liberty  of  conscience. 

In  the  story  of  John  Winthrop,  we  saw  what  a  valiant 
struggle  the  Puritans  carried  on.  At  first  they  also  con- 
tended for  liberty  of  conscience,  but  in  their  fight  liberty 
began  to  have  a  further  meaning.  They  declared  the  right 
of  freedom  of  speech  and  the  authority  of  the  people  to 
rule.  They  declared  that  the  laws  under  which  they  lived 
ought  to  be  in  keeping  with  those  in  the  Bible.  Every 
man  was  a  citizen  in  God's  kingdom.  They  began  to 
struggle  for  civil  liberty.  We  saw  how  under  John  Win- 
throp the  Puritans  adventured  to  America  and  there  laid 


CARRY  ON  141 

the  foundation  of  a  state  which  expressed  their  beliefs, 
the  beginning  of  the  first  democracy.  Not  all  the  Puritans, 
however,  came  to  America.  Many  remained  in  England 
and  continued  the  contest  there,  winning  at  last  for  their 
country  a  form  of  government  in  which  the  people  had  a 
part. 

Two  Fearless  Builders 

We  remember  Thomas  Hooker's  great  service  to  the 
progress  of  democratic  government,  how  he  faced  hard- 
ship and  death  as  a  pioneer  to  Connecticut  that  he  and  his 
church  might  put  into  practise  their  convictions  that  the 
authority  to  govern  lay  with  all  the  people  and  not  with  a 
few  chosen  men,  and  how  this  Constitution  of  Connecticut 
was  the  true  ancestor  of  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States. 

Then  there  came  still  another  step  forward  up  the  hill, 
the  conquest  of  slavery.  Dr.  Manasseh  Cutler  struck  a 
first  blow  against  the  continuation  of  slavery  when  he 
insisted  that  a  law  forbidding  it  be  a  part  of  the  Ordinance 
in  1787.  General  Armstrong  carried  on  the  work  by  his 
gallant  fight  in  the  Civil  War  for  freeing  the  bodies  of  the 
African  race,  and  by  his  equally  gallant  fight  as  a  soldier 
in  the  service  of  the  Lord  in  his  work  at  Hampton  for 
freeing  their  souls  from  bondage  to  their  worst  selves. 
His  aid  was  extended  to  the  Indian  race  also.  Today  the 
American  Missionary  Association  is  carrying  on  this  great 
campaign  against  the  bondage  of  these  and  many  less 
fortunate  races  to  sin  and  ignorance.  For  freedom  did 
Christ  set  them  free.  How  proud  Congregationalists 
should  be  that  in  the  great  campaign  against  slavery  for 
the  black  race,  the  denomination  was  never  divided,  North 
from  South. 


142    PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

Laborers  for  World  Brotherhood 

In  a  marvelous  way  the  Pilgrims  and  the  Puritans, 
through  their  descendants,  inherited  the  land  from  sea  to 
sea  which  their  charters  from  King  James  had  given  them. 
The  ideals  for  which  they  lived  became  those  of  the  whole 
country.  The  Iowa  Band  was  one  of  several  bands  who  went 
out  to  the  frontiers,  pioneers  in  transforming  them  into 
Christian  democracies.  Besides  these  bands  there  were 
hosts  of  others  of  whose  achievements  we  are  proud,  and 
there  are  today  also  hosts  of  others  who  under  the  Congre- 
gational Home  Missionary  Society  are  striving  to  make 
America  a  real  Christian  Brotherhood.  The  story  of 
Edward  A.  Steiner  shows  how  other  races  look  to  America 
as  a  leader  in  making  this  dream  come  true  for  all  the 
world. 

Into  all  the  world,  too,  Congregationalists  have  gone  in 
their  efforts  to  advance  the  new  day  of  brotherhood.  The 
ways  in  which  the  missionaries  have  served  the  boys  and 
girls  and  men  and  women  in  other  lands,  make  us 
understand  more  clearly  how  important  a  work  they  have 
done  and  are  still  doing  in  making  the  world  safe  for 
democracy.  And  the  vast  importance  of  their  work  stirs 
even  greater  admiration  for  Samuel  Mills  and  his  friends 
who  have  followed  this  gleam  from  the  life  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Isn't  it  a  splendid  record,  this  story  of  these  few  of  all  the 
followers  of  the  gleam  in  only  our  Congregational  churches! 
Many  others  in  other  churches  there  are. 

Our  High  Responsibility 

We  wish  to  honor  our  own  heroes  as  we  celebrate  the 
anniversary  of  the  coming  of  the  first  Congregationalists 
to  America  three  hundred  years  ago.  How  may  we  do 
this?  Before  this  question  is  answered,  remind  yourselves 


CARRY  ON  143 

of  the  words  Abraham  Lincoln  used  when  a  portion  of  the 
battlefield  of  Gettysburg  was  set  apart  as  a  resting-place  for 
those  "  who  there  gave  their  lives  that  the  nation  might 
live."  "  It  is  for  us  the  living  rather  to  be  here  consecrated 
to  the  cause  for  which  they  gave  the  last  full  measure  of 
devotion,  that  we  here  highly  resolve  that  these  dead  shall 
not  have  died  in  vain,  and  that  the  nation  under  God  shall 
have  a  new  birth  for  freedom."  With  this  in  mind  can  you 
see  how  we  today  may  most  truly  honor  those  heroes  of 
whom  we  have  been  studying?  Words  will  not  express 
our  gratitude.  That  can  be  shown  only  by  increased  devo- 
tion to  the  cause  for  which  they  gave  the  last  full  measure 
of  devotion,  and  the  resolution  that  those  who  have  lived 
before  us  shall  not  have  lived  and  died  in  vain.  We  must 
in  our  own  day,  as  loyally,  as  bravely  as  our  ancestors  did, 
devote  our  lives  to  carrying  on  the  cause  of  brotherhood. 

Pioneers  in  Democracy 

In  order  to  carry  on  their  work  so  well  begun,  let  us 
sum  up  the  things  for  which  our  ancestors  in  the  Congrega- 
tional churches  have  stood.  Perhaps  we  notice  first  that 
our  ancestors  stood  for  democratic  government.  Hooker's 
belief  that  the  people  have  authority  to  elect  rulers  and 
make  the  laws  which  are  to  govern  them  has  become  the 
belief  of  everyone  in  our  nation.  Today  the  Great  War 
has  been  fought  to  determine  whether  or  not  the  people  of 
every  nation  on  the  earth  shall  have  that  authority. 
Hooker  further  declared  that:  "The  privilege  of  election 
which  belongs  to  the  people  therefore  must  not  be  exercised 
according  to  their  humors,  but  according  to  the  blessed 
will  and  law  of  God."  This  reverence  for  the  power 
to  vote  ought  to  be  cultivated.  To  have  right  laws  is 
our  responsibility.  Every  Christian,  and  surely  every 


144     PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

descendant  of  these  pioneer  Congregationalists,  ought  to 
further  in  every  way  real  democratic  government  for  this 
nation  and  for  all  the  nations. 

Pioneers  in  Missions 

These  ancestors  of  ours  were  pioneers  in  missions. 
The  Scrooby  Church  came  to  America  to  carry  out  this 
missionary  desire.  They  wanted  to  extend  their  faith. 
Very  soon  they  undertook  to  bring  their  Indian  neighbors 
to  Jesus.  In  1793  the  first  home  missionary  society,  the 
Connecticut  Home  Missionary  Society,  was  founded  to 
carry  to  their  friends  who  had  gone  out  to  the  frontiers 
the  privileges  of  fellowship  with  Jesus.  The  American 
Board,  which  was  organized  in  1810,  was  the  first  foreign 
missionary  organization  in  the  United  States.  The  deeds 
of  our  ancestors  are  their  splendid  monument.  They 
achieved  much.  So  must  we.  The  work  is  not  all  done. 
As  Congregationalists  we  are  responsible  for  telling  75,- 
000,000  people  in  non-Christian  lands  that  they  are  the 
children  of  God  their  Father,  who  loves  them,  and  that 
he  wills  us  all  to  dwell  together  as  brothers;  in  other 
words  our  Congregational  churches,  unaided  by  others, 
must  reach  almost  as  many  people  as  live  in  the  United 
States.  In  Mexico,  for  instance,  our  share  of  the  territory 
in  which  to  work,  so  that  our  efforts  and  those  of  other 
denominations  will  not  overlap,  is  as  large  as  all  New 
England  plus  New  York,  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  Mary- 
land, Delaware,  and  Virginia.  The  population  of  the 
territory  is  750,000  people;  our  force  of  missionaries  is 
eleven  —  one  missionary  to  more  than  68,000  people. 
Adding  together  the  number  of  people  reached  in  churches 
and  Sunday  schools  in  our  work  for  foreign  missions,  we 
find  we  are  reaching  about  360,000  people.  This  means 


CARRY  ON  145 

that  we  are  accomplishing  one  twenty-five  hundredth 
part  of  our  task  in  foreign  fields.  In  the  United  States 
there  is  one  minister  to  594  people,  and  one  doctor  to  625 
people.  In  China  there  is  one  minister  to  476,000  people, 
and  one  doctor  to  about  2,250,000  people;  that  would  be  at 
the  rate  of  one  doctor  and  five  ministers  to  a  city  the  size 
of  Chicago.  In  India  nine  out  of  every  ten  persons  who  die 
have  been  unable  to  receive  any  medical  care,  yet  all  the 
thirty-three  hospitals  of  our  American  Board  could  be  made 
self-supporting  with  a  fund  that  would  be  hardly  enough 
to  meet  the  expenses  of  one  of  our  many  city  hospitals. 
We  have  yet  to  accomplish  2,499  parts  of  our  task.  Who 
says,  "  It's  impossible  "?  Some  one  said  that  to  General 
Armstrong  once  when  he  proposed  a  certain  advance. 
The  General  sprang  to  his  feet,  saying,  "  What  are  Chris- 
tians put  into  the  world  for  but  to  do  the  impossible  in  the 
strength  of  God!  "  Samuel  Mills  was  just  one  man.  In 
his  day  not  even  one  six  hundred  millionth  part  of  this 
task  had  been  accomplished.  Yet  he  said,  "  We  can  do  it 
if  we  will."  From  his  beginning  what  great  deeds  have 
been  accomplished! 

But  some  one  has  said  and  very  truly,  that  we  must 
Christianize  America  if  we  are  to  Christianize  the  world. 
This  does  not  mean  that  we  must  Christianize  America 
before  we  try  to  Christianize  the  world.  It  means  that 
the  two  tasks  are  part  of  one  big  task,  so  related  that 
neither  one  can  be  neglected.  Out  from  our  shores  to  the 
non-Christian  lands  go  sewing-machine  missionaries,  Stand- 
ard Oil  missionaries,  tobacco  missionaries,  rum  missionaries, 
factory-machinery  missionaries,  government  missionaries, 
merchant  missionaries,  and  a  crowd  of  others.  "  But 
these  aren't  missionaries?  "  Oh,  yes,  they  are.  A  mis- 
sionary is  one  who  is  sent,  and  all  these  people  are  sent 


146     PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

to  the  non-Christian  lands  to  sell  goods  to  the  people, 
or  buy  goods  from  them  to  send  back  to  America.  If 
these  others  go,  why  not  send  missionaries  of  Jesus  Christ 
to  give  to  the  people  of  these  lands  the  very  best  thing  we 
have,  the  knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ?  It  was  because  men 
knew  him  and  followed  him  that  the  Pilgrims  and  Puritans 
came  to  America,  that  democracy  began,  that  slavery  was 
conquered,  and  that  America  is  as  great  as  she  is  today. 
We  cannot  refuse  our  best  to  the  other  lands,  especially 
when  these  missionaries  are  those  who  are  doing  the  most  of 
all  to  make  of  these  non-Christian  lands  real  brotherhoods 
in  Jesus  Christ  and  making  sure  the  foundations  of  democ- 
racy for  the  world.  On  the  other  hand,  since  these  non- 
Christian  lands  are  receiving  in  great  numbers  all  these 
other  kinds  of  missionaries  we  must  bend  every  effort  to 
make  all  these  other  influences  Christian  too.  The  rum 
missionaries  certainly  are  not.  Many  merchant  mis- 
sionaries cheat  and  deceive  and  wrong  these  people  in  order 
that  their  own  selfish  interests  may  be  advanced.  To 
make  all  these  other  missionaries  Christian  is  the  task  of 
home  missions  and  the  church  at  home.  They  must  learn 
to  be  brothers  to  men  of  all  races  here  at  home  and  across  the 
seas  if  that  new  day  of  world  brotherhood  is  to  be  won. 
Our  soldiers  have  beaten  the  armies  of  autocracy  with  the 
armies  of  democracy.  They  cannot  conquer  the  spirit 
of  selfishness,  cruelty,  and  greed  which  makes  autocracy, 
except  by  the  spirit  which  makes  democracy,  and  that  is  the 
spirit  which  comes  to  us  from  Jesus  Christ,  the  spirit  of  love 
and  brotherhood,  of  service  for  the  welfare  of  others.  You 
see,  we  are  challenged  to  a  greater  task  than  ever  before.  It 
is  for  us  to  make  really  Christian  every  relationship  of  our 
lives,  whether  social,  or  commercial,  or  industrial,  or  national. 
We  must  carry  on  everywhere  a  campaign  of  good  will. 


CARRY  ON  147 

Wherever  the  spirit  that  makes  for  autocracy  is  at 
work  in  our  own  land  we  must  overcome  it;  wherever 
greed  and  selfishness  and  indifference  and  cruelty  are 
grinding  down  men  and  women  and  little  children  in  our 
own  land  and  others,  we  must  overcome  these  forces. 
We  must  see  to  it,  for  example,  that  down  in  the  south- 
land the  thousands  of  children,  black  and  white,  picking 
cotton  or  working  in  the  factories  day  after  day,  may 
have  their  chance.  Moreover  through  no  fault  of  theirs 
many  children  are  forced  by  industrial  conditions  to 
take  their  places  in  the  work  of  the  world,  handicapped 
by  the  lack  of  training  in  mind,  body,  and  spirit.  Yet 
Jesus  said,  "  Of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven."  In 
the  second  place  we  must  see  to  it  that  the  foreigners 
who  came  to  America  in  such  great  numbers  those  last 
ten  years  before  the  war,  and  the  others  before  them, 
have  the  opportunity  to  learn  the  real  America.  We 
are  apt  to  look  down  upon  them  because  they  are 
foreigners.  We  blame  them  for  remaining  foreign  to 
American  ideals  and  ways.  Are  we  fair?  Do  we  give 
them  the  proper  chance  to  know  the  best  in  America? 
The  story  of  Dr.  Edward  A.  Steiner,  one  of  the  millions, 
shows  the  obstacles  in  their  lives,  and  the  glory  it  will 
be  to  us  to  overcome  them  in  their  behalf.  What  a 
privilege  has  been  given  to  this  nation  of  ours  to  serve 
the  other  races  here  in  our  own  land  and  lead  them  in 
the  way  of  brotherhood.  Then  we  can  truly  lead  the 
nations.  President  Wilson  has  said,  "  If  you  could  hear 
some  of  the  touching  dispatches  which  come  through 
official  channels  —  for  even  through  these  channels  there 
come  voices  which  are  infinitely  pathetic  —  if  you  could 
catch  some  of  these  voices  that  I  hear,  the  utter  longing 
of  the  oppressed  and  helpless  peoples  all  over  the  world 


148     PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

to  hear  something  like  the  Battle  Hymn  of  the  Republic, 
to  hear  the  feet  of  the  great  hosts  of  Liberty  going  to 
set  them  free,  to  set  their  minds  free,  you  would  know 
what  comes  into  the  hearts  of  those  who  are  trying  to 
contribute  all  the  brains  and  power  they  have  to  this 
great  enterprise  of  liberty.  I  summon  you  to  com- 
radeship." 

The  Canadian  Army  on  the  western  front  has  given 
us  a  splendid  phrase.  It  is  "  Carry  On!  "  They  were 
tired,  wounded  men,  broken  in  body,  but  their  spirits 
were  aflame  with  courage  and  determination  to  carry 
on  the  work  begun,  the  work  for  which  so  many  had 
given,  and  for  which  they,  too,  would  give  their  all. 
We  have  looked  back  down  the  hill,  we  have  seen  the 
conquests  of  our  ancestors  on  the  field  of  missions. 
Forward  into  the  valley  we  have  looked ;  there  lies  our  task. 
Impossible?  "  What  are  Christians  put  into  the  world 
for  but  to  do  the  impossible  in  the  strength  of  God?  " 
Beyond  the  valley  lie  the  mountains;  beyond  this 
struggle  is  the  era  of  brotherhood.  Let  us  "  Carry  On!  " 

Pioneers  in  Cooperation 

Our  ancestors  have  always  stood  for  cooperation  and 
team  work.  Here,  too,  they  are  pioneers.  When  home 
missionary  work  began  in  the  West,  Congregationalists 
and  Presbyterians  worked  in  partnership.  The  American 
Board  was  originally  supported  by  the  Baptist,  Pres- 
byterian, and  Reformed  Churches,  as  well  as  the  Con- 
gregational. Samuel  J.  Mills  was  a  prime  mover  in  the 
forming  of  the  American  Bible  Society,  in  which  all 
denominations  of  Christians  have  a  part.  Today  we 
Congregationalists  show  this  same  spirit  in  our  support 
of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  the  Y.  W.  C.  A.,  both  in  their 


CARRY  ON  149 

work  at  home  and  abroad,  as  well  as  their  work  in 
Army  and  Navy.  We  must  honor  our  ancestors  by 
carrying  on  this  same  sort  of  team-work  in  the  common 
task  of  all  the  churches  that  lies  before  us.  It  will  be 
more  necessary  than  ever. 

Pioneers  in  Education 

Our  ancestors  have  always  valued  highly  oppor- 
tunities for  education.  They  believed  that,  as  man  is 
capable  of  being  a  son  of  God,  he  must  have  every 
opportunity  to  become  his  best  in  mind,  body  and 
spirit.  Within  the  first  years  of  the  Puritan  colony, 
public  schools  were  founded.  Wherever  their  descen- 
dants went,  they  carried  this  desire  for  education  and 
made  plans  and  sacrificed  much  to  give  their  children 
good  schools.  Harvard,  Yale,  Williams,  Dartmouth, 
Mt.  Holyoke,  Smith,  Wellesley,  Oberlin,  Michigan, 
Grinnell,  Marietta,  Rollins,  Yorktown,  Colorado,  Whit- 
man —  these  are  just  a  few  of  those  colleges  which  were 
founded  directly  or  indirectly  by  our  Congregational 
ancestors.  The  Doshisha  in  Japan,  the  Union  College 
at  Pekin,  the  International  College  in  Smyrna  —  these 
are  a  few  of  those  which  have  been  planted  overseas. 
We  must  "  Carry  On "  in  this  field  of  education,  es- 
pecially through  the  schools  and  colleges  of  the  A.  M.  A., 
the  C.  H.  M.  S.,  and  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.  What  do  all 
these  letters  stand  for?  Guess.  Then  "  Carry  On!  " 

Our  ancestors  emphasized  Bible  study.  It  was  through 
their  earnest  study  of  the  life  of  Jesus  that  they  gained 
the  inspiration  for  each  forward  step  in  making  possible 
the  era  of  brotherhood.  It  was  Jesus  who  taught  that 
all  men  were  brothers.  How  he  would  have  men  live 
together  as  brothers,  all  of  us  children  of  our  heavenly 


Father,   we   must   study   our   Bibles   the   harder   to   find 
out;    we  are  learning  more  and  more  each  day. 
Do  you  now  see  that  the  gleam  is: 

"  Not  of  the  sunlight, 
Not  of  the  moonlight, 
Not  of  the  starlight." 

Do  you  not  see  that  the  light  of  the  world  is  Jesus? 
Do  you  not  see  that  from  him  shines  the  gleam? 

"  Oh,  young  Mariner, 
Down  to  the  haven 
Call  your  companions, 
Launch  your  vessel 
And  crowd  your  canvas, 
And,  ere  it  vanishes 
Over  the  margin, 
After  it,  follow  it, 
Follow  the  Gleam!  " 

Pioneers  of  Truth 

Our  ancestors  have  been  pioneers  of  truth.  They 
have  stood  for  the  spirit  of  progress.  In  1620  Pastor 
John  Robinson  wrote  the  Scrooby  Church  that  "  he  was 
very  confident  that  there  is  yet  more  light  and  truth  to 
break  forth  from  His  Holy  Word."  That  willingness 
to  see  new  truth  and  light  in  God's  Holy  Word  and  to 
follow  wherever  its  gleam  led,  has  always  been  the 
spirit  of  our  Congregational  ancestors.  Through  this 
Great  War  new  truths  have  been  revealed.  All  men  are 
seeing  that  the  root  of  all  our  troubles  lies  in  narrow 
selfish  ideas  of  patriotism  and  nationality,  We  are 
seeing  that  we  have  imperfectly  followed  Jesus  Christ. 
We  are  learning  that  greatness  "  consists  not  in  pos- 
sessions or  power  or  dominion,  but  in  a  desire  to  serve." 


CARRY  ON  151 

We  are  beginning  to  see  that  "  there  are  no  frontiers 
to  friendship  and  that  the  language  of  love  is  a  uni- 
versal language.  .  .  .  The  new  patriotism  will  sow  for 
a  harvest  and  will  reap  a  harvest  of  brotherhood  and 
good- will."  l  Victor  Hugo  dreamed  of  a  United  States 
of  Europe.  We  dream  of  a  United  States  of  the  World. 

The  Hills  Ahead 

This  ending  of  warfare  and  establishing  the  new  day 
of  the  brotherhood  of  nations,  this  dream  of  the  ages, 
may  now  be  brought  to  reality.  It  is  impossible? 
"  What  are  Christians  put  in  the  world  for  but  to  do  the 
impossible  in  the  strength  of  God!  "  In  our  day  this  is 
the  new  gleam  of  truth  which  shines  before  us.  We 
shall  be  unworthy  of  our  pioneer  ancestors  if  we  fail 
to  follow  it.  "  England  was  not  made  by  her  states- 
men but  by  her  adventurers,"  said  General  Gordon. 
This  has  held  true  of  America  too.  It  is  true  of  the 
world.  Today  we  stand  on  the  hilltop,  before  us  in  the 
valley  lies  our  task.  To  us  there  comes  this  call: 

"  Be  not  like  those 

Who  sit  at  home  and  there  dream  and  dally, 
Raking  the  embers  of  the  long  dead  years. 
But  go  ye  down  to  the  haunted  valley, 
Light-hearted  Pioneers. 
They  have  forgotten  they  were  ever  young, 
They  hear  your  song  in  an  unknown  tongue, 
But  one  gleam  of  God  through  your  spirit  shines, 
Adventurers!    O  adventurers!  " 

QUESTIONS  FOR  REVIEW 

1.  Tell  what  each  of  the  following  did  to  help  on  the  new  era  of 
brotherhood:  Wyclif,  the  Lollards,  the  Scrooby  Church,  John 

•Quoted  from  a  sermon  by  Dr.  Raymond  Calkins  printed  in  the  WfUraley  College 
.V*i*«  for  June  13.  1018. 


152     PILGRIM  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  GLEAM 

Wlnthrop  and  the  Puritans,  Hooker,  Dr.  Cutler,  the  Iowa  Band, 
Dr.  Marcus  Whitman,  Gen.  Samuel  Armstrong,  Dr.  Edward  A. 
Steiner,  and  Samuel  J.  Mills. 

2.  Find  six  things  for  which  our  Congregational  ancestors  have 
stood. 

3.  For   what   great   purposes   do   these   groups   of   letters   stand: 
A.  B.  C.  F.  M.,  C.  H.  M.  S.,  and  A.  M.  A.? 

4.  What  is  our  future  task  in  foreign  missions? 

5.  What  is  our  future  task  in  home  missions? 

6.  In  what  new  ways  in  the  future  shall  we  too  have  to  be  loyal 
to  newly  revealed  truth  if  we  would  stand,  as  our  ancestors  have, 
for  progress? 


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